First Blood
by tornac
Summary: One mission, one secret, one person. A single night leads the way to a new beginning, a threat from beyond the grave, and severs even the strongest of bonds. Dante, Vergil, Lady, Trish, Nero, and Kyrie.
1. Hell Stand

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in DMC.**

**Summary: One mission, one secret, one person. A single night leads the way to a new beginning, a threat from beyond the grave, and severs even the strongest of bonds. Dante, Vergil, Lady, Trish, Nero, and Kyrie.**

**T for language and blood. **

**[A/N: Hi guys. This is my first take on Devil May Cry fanfiction, so bear with me. I'm a bit… new, by DMC gamer standards on the game, so I might get a few things wrong here and there. But whatever, I just felt like writing this. Also, I can't be sure that I can update frequently, since I'm extremely busy most of the time. **

**I'm going to include an OC, for the storyline's purpose, but since OC's rub my head sore most of the time I'll keep that out of the way, and concentrate on the main characters. **

**Yes, I will include pairings, (so *she* doesn't rip my head off) but you'll have to read through to find out. Well we know Nero and Kyrie are inseparable, so I won't mess that up. I prefer action, mystery, drama, and especially angst, but well, *she* can't get through without a few sweet moments. Go figure.**

**Sorry for OOCness. Like, Dante's attitude shifts from DMC4 to 3 to anime and that stuff. It's weird.]**

**Chapter One: Hell Stand**

Everything was hazy. Left and right, blurred outlines dotted the corners of her vision. Her head was spinning, barely registering the oncoming waves of hellspawn that dawned upon her. Demons were appearing at an alarming rate, signaling the presence of a Hell Gate. It was near, and she could feel the aura, emanating dread throughout the street. Any moment now, she could collapse. Only the sheer force of will kept her on her feet.

Gunshots could be barely heard as an Assault launched itself toward her. It fell to the ground, but another took its place in a split second. Her eyebrows knitted and she let out a low growl, pumping her UZI semi-automatic to the limit. The heat wrapped its unforgiving fingers around her lithe form, drenching her in sweat and creating a suffocating atmosphere. Tendrils of piercing fatigue stabbed at her limbs, screaming at her to stop, but she resisted. She had to stand her ground, for the sake of the others.

Not long ago, they had come here because of rumors of a new Hell Gate. Trish went ahead and scouted for Mephistos and Fausts, while Dante and Nero went and searched for the gate. Lady had volunteered to fend off those that got in the way.

This was not an ordinary gate-wrecking mission. They were in for a day of hell in their lives – to retrieve one of their number that they had lost nearly ten years ago. This time, they would get Vergil back.

Everything had gone according to plan – Trish had gotten rid of the ghastly beasts that were likewise scouting for them, while the two silver-haired Devil Hunters had their share of fun hunting the devils. And of course, she enjoyed the killing too.

However, the present wasn't looking so good. Not when she was about to fall where she stood, razing through the last of her ammo like wildfire. The gate had been concealed… just a mere hundred yards from her. Without a moment's notice, it had appeared, along with the creatures that resided within it. And, Lady was taking the brunt of blow as an indefinite score of demons poured out of it.

_Trish should be… here… by now…_, she thought desperately as two Frosts materialized in front of her. Guns trained at their ice shards, she pelted them with bullets until they had to raise their shields to stop the merciless flow. The stream of metal broke as she ran out, and quickly changed magazines. However, one had seized the chance to lunge closer. Lady was forced to sidestep as it jammed it beak outward, nearly jabbing her throat. She pushed her pistol up to its middle and finished off the icy demon.

The other Frost let out a low, otherworldly shriek as its companion fell, making her shiver and her hairs stand on end. Her grip tightened on her pistol and semi-automatic, blazing toward the other one.

Smoke twisted out of the barrel as the Frost lay dying, forcing her to change magazines once again. She was breathing so hard she felt her lungs were on fire. The sudden stop in momentum took its toll and she staggered backward and doubled over, sweat plastering her flyaway hair to her face. Now, her head felt light and she finally fell to her knees as a group of Hell Prides and Lusts appeared. Kalina Ann found its way into her hands as she trained it on them.

Her last thoughts were for the others to be safe as the world faded to black in the sound of a whistling missile and charging Hells… and a wave of red.

---

---

Dante walked, almost strutted calmly through the halls of hell, almost opposite to Nero, who was really twitchy as his eyes darted around. They had just been attacked by a rather massive Leviathan, and the younger devil still couldn't shake off the feeling that another one could come crashing at them at any moment. Aside that, his Devil Bringer was itching like mad, and was now pulsating bright blue light.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing?" he growled, holding it in his human arm.

"Wrong with what?"

"My arm! It's been glowing and itching like mad ever since we entered this godforsaken place!"

"Hm. So that's how the thing found us," commented Dante, who had stopped walking. There was a multi-fork in their path, branching into five different directions.

"It's not like I can turn it off or something!" Nero shot back, who was still resisting the urge to scratch his arm. "I swear, if this thing doesn't stop I'm gonna—"

"Shush!" said Dante suddenly.

"What?"

"I mean shut up for a minute, I'm trying to think."

"Huh. Like _you_ ever shut up for even a second."

Dante didn't reply as he scrutinized the paths. What lay ahead was pitch-black, so there was no use in trying to see. He could hear nothing either, except for small clicks that sounded eerily like beaks. Okay, so demons were hiding in the walls after all. He also couldn't smell anything aside from the faint blood stains many years old all over the walls.

"This place stinks."

"You got that right kid."

"… Are you trying to sniff him out or something?"

"No use, cause like ya said, this place sticks of rotten brains."

Nero squinted and pinched his nose mockingly. "Right. So, which one is he in?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"How should I know?"

"You were the one who sucked Yamato into your system. Bring it out, maybe it'll glow in the dark or something."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I can only use it when I Devil Trigger."

He raised his eyebrow. "Sooo… why don't you try Devil Triggering?"

"I can't. Must be this place, because if I try, I feel like I'll lose my head, or lose control, or something."

Dante sighed. "Well that's convenient. Tell you what, try standing in each of the paths, and go into the one where it gets really itchy."

Nero frowned, and then a dawn of understanding washed over him. So that explained why his Devil Bringer was acting funny. A part of it was yearning to be back in its master's touch.

Dante watched him closely, slightly amused as he stepped toward the rightmost one first and cautiously held out his arm. Nothing happened for a moment, then suddenly the pulse died down, and there was a sound like a vacuum being turned on. A confused look lined Nero's face, then all of a sudden a portal opened in front of him and a group of tiny dinosaur-like beings pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. He reached for Red Queen and sliced at them, but they were very nimble and avoided his attacks. They were all around, hanging off his coat and scratching at his head with their tiny claws. One found its way to the hood of his coat and made for his neck, but he managed to fling it off. This time as he swung he used Exceed, and finally half of them turned to dust as fire pumped out of the fuel injection system. The remaining half lunged at him but he swiped at them with his Devil Bringer, and the last one was taken care of in mid air with a charge shot.

Dante moved his head two inches to the left as the shrieking demon dinosaur sailed over his shoulder, exploding into ash behind him. He grinned and turned back to a very disheveled-looking Nero, who was still panting from the attack.

"Those were actually kinda cute. Coming in next to the talking mutt, of course."

"You call a bunch of freaking demons that tried to rip me to shreds CUTE? What the HELL were those things?" Nero half-shouted as he took a look at his ripped coat.

"Ah, must be the kiddie residents of hell. They like to play along these streets…and they happen to like ears a lot for some reason."

Nero reached up involuntarily to touch his ear if it was still there. After confirming both were still intact, he crossed his arms and looked over to the half-demon.

"No way am I sticking my arm out like that again if a bunch of those things are gonna come bursting at any second."

Dante chuckled. "You scared?"

Nero scoffed. "Well I don't know about you, but I just don't like the idea of getting ripped to shreds and being dinner for who-knows-what especially in this place."

"Hah. You defeat the conqueror of Fire Hell, a jungle dragon-woman, a slimy ice-cold toad with feelers that have pretty hot asses if I may add, and you're scared of tiny lizards?"

"I _told_ you, I wasn't scared. But no way am I doing that again."

"Hah, then chill off then, you got the right path in one go! Thanks for the help," he said, and ran through the black hole they were facing. Nero stood frozen for a second, and followed him. But before he could run into the black hole, Dante stuck his head out of it.

"Actually, I'd prefer if you stayed alive kid, so just wait out here for a sec."

"What the hell are you talking about—" Nero started, but just then a really huge Assault with _two _Chimera seeds on it that were swinging their blades wildly jumped out of the hole at his startled state. Fortunately, it crashed down inches from his nose, and he saw that a gloved hand had grabbed hold of its tail. The roaring Assault was pulled back tail-first back into the hole, and a second later Dante's head popped out again.

"See what I mean kid?" he called, giving his usual smug smirk before pulling himself back in.

---

---

Nero frowned at the black hole, fighting with his brain whether he should go in or not. He didn't fear anything, except when it was something that involved Kyrie, but Kyrie was in no immediate danger right now. Then again, Dante wouldn't hold him back if he knew he could take it, even to the point of watching him struggle for his own amusement.

'_You gotta learn that life ain't just a fairytale, kid,' he said, holstering Coyote-A as he watched him with Kyrie in his arms, after he had fought off a horde of Mephistos that converged there, while Dante sat back, relaxed ,and enjoyed the action. 'There are some things that even you yourself can't protect, even if you had sworn to do so. No one can guarantee that. Not even me,' he finished, as he stood up and walked away from the couple. And, Nero could swear that for the first time, he saw sadness in the Devil Hunter's eyes._

Now, maybe he knew what Dante had referred to. His mother… his brother. His mother was human, and so she was gone forever. His brother, however, being half-demon like he was, never truly died. As he had learned, the souls of demons were 'recycled' and merely appeared in another form or so. Now, Dante was trying to stay part of his guilt by bringing back his brother.

He sat down and weighed his options. If he went in there to help Dante, the sooner they could finish off the demons, the sooner they could rescue his twin, the sooner he could get answers, and the sooner they could get the hell out of that place. But, the man's warning itched at the back of his mind, and his instinct told him to follow it. Then again, and even Dante had said it, he had fought and defeated masters and their minions straight out of hell. Why should he be afraid? He had saved the world once, and Dante had a lot of times - the true descendants of Sparda. What should _they_ fear?

He set his mind and rushed toward the portal. He felt adrenaline flooding his system as he neared the pitch-black vault. He was about to run in when once again, he stopped.

'_Why the hell should I listen to you!?' he yelled as he grabbed Dante's shoulder. The man merely looked at him with amused eyes. 'You should stay put on this one, Nero. I need to check these bugs out. Seems they can do more than just pass through walls now.' Nero grit his teeth and gripped tighter as Dante tried to turn around. However, the man pried his hand open and looked back at him. 'Come on, don't worry. I'll save your girlfriend along the way. And hey, I promise I won't try anything.' Nero was about to retort when Dante sped out the door. Snarling, he raced after him._

'_Nero!'_

'_Kyrie!!' he yelled, as he ran towards her. Somewhere inside he wondered why Dante wasn't there yet, but that didn't matter. He shot his way through several Mephistos, though it didn't flinch them in the slightest. He snatched at them with the Devil Bringer, attempting to remove their gas cloaks, but somehow that didn't work either. He was getting more and more frustrated until one shot one of their long spikes. He dodged it by reflex, but something was wrong. As it collided into the ground, the air suddenly seemed to thin, choking both of them. Nero watched helplessly as Kyrie sank to her knees, clutching her throat. Nero tried to get to her, but he was immobilized._

_Then, the other Mephistos did the same, shooting their 'finger' spikes to the ground around them. A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over, suffocating them. His eyes met with hers as they lay on the ground, unable to move. As his breath slipped away, he barely noticed that cocky voice._

'_Yo, longfingers. I'd prefer to have the lovebirds alive if you don't mind.'_

_Buckshots slapped through the air as bullets made contact with the demons. _

_He breathed in the cool air once again as the spikes lifted of the ground. As he looked up, Kyrie was down, barely breathing. Out the corner of his eye, the black devils quickly recovered and converged upon her, blocking her from his view. Time seemed to slow as rage flew through his system, activating his Devil Trigger. At that, he grabbed onto each of them and handed then a one-way ticket back to hell._

_The last coward scuttled helplessly before he impaled it with Red Queen. As it screeched its final breath, the red disappeared from his eyes and he ran toward Kyrie, holding her in his arms._

'_Told ya they had something up their cloaks.'_

_Nero looked up to see Dante sitting, twirling his shotgun. Nero frowned._

'_Why? Did they evolve or something?'_

'_Nah, doubt that. I guess someone's behind this. But I did tell you to stay in the office. You could have died.'_

'_So could Kyrie!'_

'_Well you were screaming her name out and running toward her shooting their backsides... if they have one, that is. Of course they wouldn't notice you both.'_

_Nero wanted to retort, but he just fell silent. Dante spoke again._

'_At least try to trust me sometimes kid. Like I said, I seem to have grown fond of your couple and I'd rather have both of you alive. You know you can't just run around saving your sweetheart without knowing what you're facing. You can't always be sure that you're the… what do they call it? Knight in leather coat or something.'_

_The young devil hunter looked at him. Dante sighed._

_You gotta learn that life ain't just a fairytale, kid,' he said, holstering Coyote-A._

Nero backed up. At least try to trust him. Yeah, he did trust him, but it was hard to when he fooled around too much for his own good.

He wanted to come along because he had Vergil's sword, and he sought to know why the Devil Bringer had accepted it. Dante had also told him that if anyone knew how he was descended from Sparda, it would be Vergil. However, he did not elaborate why.

He took one look at the black hole, and looked down.

If he was going to get answers, he might as well make sure that the one who'll be giving it to him was alive. He'd gone too far in to go back now.

The man was probably having fun riding gigapedes or such by now. At that thought, he grew irritated. Maybe the guy thought he was touchy about giant flying worms. After all, since when did he listen to Dante?

Anger, confusion, irritation, determination and hesitation flooded his emotions.

He had to make a decision. He could either risk his life and possibly die, or ensure his safety while leaving his friends' lives in Fate's hands.

The question was whether Fate would favor them.

_Wait for me, Kyrie._

---

---

The first thing he felt was annoyance. As he entered, a wave of blue and black lines materialized in front of his eyes. It was like being in a massive blue room with thin, weird black lines crisscrossing all over.

The second thing he felt… was more annoyance.

_Well, the heck, _thought Nero. Dante was indeed having his fun riding a gigapede. It was like watching a kid who had his fun riding a choo-choo train for the first time. Only, this choo-choo train was trying to kill its rider.

"Hey kid, what took you so long?" he chuckled as he stuck Rebellion into the gigapede's head, earning a rumbling screech as the demon crashed into the blue ground. He flipped over its back and landed a few yards from Nero. He grinned at the very angry boy and slung Rebellion over his back.

"I bet you were deciding if you should come in to play hero and never see your sweetheart again," he chuckled.

"At this point old man, I think I wouldn't care if a something tore you to shreds and ate you right now."

"Huh. That must mean I'm really tasty… and not only to babes."

"Scratch that, damn you! Why the HELL did you do that? We could have gotten your brother out of here ages ago!"

"Well I told you that you were better off with you head on your shoulders, otherwise Verge can't get his sword back."

"I can hold my own, Dante!" he yelled, grabbing Red Queen and holding its blade against his neck. Dante kept on smiling.

"I thought you were here to help me out?"

"Well that's just no good when you're just playing around with me!"

"Hey, I was telling the truth kid," he responded, and drew Ivory, pointing it at Nero's head. His eyes widened as Dante pulled the trigger, and was barely able to sidestep as the bullet grazed the tips of his hair. Nero felt almost dazed to register that Dante was attacking him.

Not another second was wasted as the Devil Hunter also drew Ebony and pelted Nero with bullets. Nero in turn pulled out Blue Rose and intercepted two bullets at a time in mid-air, a trick taught to him by the very man who was attacking him. The clash and disintegration of bullets filled and echoed throughout the room as they battled each other with their guns mercilessly.

Nero now felt a disadvantage because of the constant need to reload on his part. His gun fired two bullets out of six at a time, allowing him three shots after every reload. Somehow, this didn't bother him before, but he began to be increasingly aware of it now. Something was messing with time again.

Dante kept his cocky smirk plastered to his face as he charged his heavily-customized handguns. His hands now glowed with a reddish light, pushing back Nero's bullets. Bit by bit, the stream of disintegrating metal moved closer to Nero. Soon, he could see Dante's bullets clipping his away just a few inches from the double barrel. It moved closer and closer until bullets chipped at the tip of the metal. Finally, one more hit, and Blue Rose flew out of his hand.

Nero ducked and dodged the repeated stream and grabbed Red Queen, attempting to deflect the bullets. It did not last long, though. Dante holstered Ebony and Ivory and put his hands on his hips.

"Told ya you wouldn't last two minutes in here, kid."

"What are you doing old man?! Why are you trying to kill me?!"

Dante simply shrugged and pulled out Rebellion, charging at Nero. He snarled and did the same, weapons clashing in a power deadlock. Steel grated against steel as they battled for dominance. Dante was _still_ smirking at him, seemingly amused by his efforts. The area of contact between their swords sparked, catching Nero's eye. He shifted his finger and charged Red Queen. As it filled with power, he pushed his hilt forward, igniting the area between the swords.

Dante let Rebellion be pushed to the side, and returned a swift counterattack. Nero parried it, using the second power gauge, and roared with a powerful sword uppercut for the last. Dante flicked the flat side of Rebellion against it as flames engulfed his blade, and slid it toward the fuel injection system.

A crack was heard and the Exceed gauge broke, though Nero managed his hold on Red Queen. He rolled to the side and streaked at Dante, who air hiked out of the way. The man landed behind him and swung at him, though he blocked it by holding Red Queen vertically across his back. He twisted his body and skimmed his sword against Rebellion, and then side rolled again and grabbed Blue Rose.

Dante unleashed a stinger at him which he was barely able to block. He turned to the side so that they were back-to-back, and rolled forward to shoot him.

All of a sudden, Nero noticed five things at once. First, he was down on the ground. Second, Blue Rose had been knocked out of his hand for the second time. Third, Red Queen was now lying a foot from his Devil Bringer arm. Fourth, unimaginable pain was shooting throughout his right calf and thigh, coupled with the warm spurt of oozing blood. Fifth, smoke twisting out of the barrel of Coyote-A under Dante's arm.

He yelled as the pain registered throughout his system. It blinded him so much that he was gritting his teeth so hard in pain, feeling as if his leg was mangled beyond recognition. Panting heavily, he watched as Dante turned around, resting the shotgun on his shoulder.

He was confused. Why wasn't he healing? He had discovered that he could heal quickly during several instances in the past, like when he was impaled by the Bianco Angelos with their lances and by Agnus with that huge Gladius. But now, he was losing a lot of blood, and fast.

As Dante took a step toward him, he reflexively reached out for Red Queen across the floor, but his Devil Bringer was stopped by Dante's boot. Rebellion's tip was now touching the ground beside his neck.

"Have you thought things over, kid?" he asked. Even with partly-squinted eyes, he could still _feel_ that smile – a sort of gleeful, sadistic pleasure that coated every word. This was not the Dante that he fought against before. What had happened to him?

He grimaced as the boot applied a bit more pressure. Dante sighed. "I think this seems a bit familiar kid. Remember our little tussle at headquarters? You fight me, and I still come out the winner. Stop trying to prove yourself. It's useless."

"What on earth are you talking about…" he grunted in the midst of pain. Dante shook his head.

"I never thought you to be this weak, kid. You were never, even for once, up for a decent challenge. I mean, what are you doing here, anyway? You're just another pest in my way."

"What… are you…"

"Huh. So melodramatic. Haven't I told you that I'm never up for that kinda stuff?" he sneered. Dante cocked his head to the side to be able to see Nero's face. "Well kid, you're into drama too much. And it's getting on my nerves."

Nero looked up in defeat and disbelief as Dante raised Rebellion. He was going to die there, in Hell; he was never going back, never going to see Kyrie again…

That last thing he saw was the glint of a skull hilt as the blade descended.

***


	2. Escape

**Chapter Two: Escape**

***

_Nero looked up in defeat and disbelief as Dante raised Rebellion. He was going to die there, in Hell; he was never going back, never going to see Kyrie again…_

_That last thing he saw was the glint of a skull hilt as the blade descended._

***

***

… And stopped right above his heart.

Nero opened his eyes to find Rebellion hovering over him, stopped in mid-blow. Mustering his strength, he looked around the massive blade, but was shocked by what he saw.

Another blade was sticking out through Dante's chest, thrust through from behind. Then, a man's voice sounded behind him.

"Actually, I happen to like melodrama."

The blade was pulled out and Dante… or was it really him? ... keeled over to the side.

Nero breathed a sigh of relief and disbelief, for there stood his friend, the real Dante, flicking demon blood off Rebellion… and was covered in scars. He too, was bleeding, just a little from small cuts, but quite a bit from the larger ones. His coat's sleeves were ripped beyond recognition, revealing long, thin wounds along his arms, running from his wrists and disappearing around the shoulder. However, that most noticeable one was just above his left eyebrow, with red tendrils streaming down the side of his face. He noticed Nero's look and shifted his to his coat.

"Uh, yeah I know. Ah, I can't believe it… I'm gonna have to buy a new one. And this cost a couple 'a hundred bucks, Lady's gonna be taking my pay for a week…"

Nero rolled his eyes. "How could you be worrying about your damn coat? You're bleeding everywhere!"

"Yeah, I figured. Anyway, don't mind that now. Get up, I just sensed it, Vergil's here somewhere." He replied, offering his hand to help him up. Nero shook his head.

"Wait, I want to know what's happening. Why aren't we healing?"

"I'll tell you later kid, now's not the time. Come on, get up, and let's finish this quickly so we can get back."

"I can't old man. See, you kind of shot me in the leg."

"…"

"…"

"…Damn. Stupid demon," he said, looking over at his imposter, which was sprawled out unceremoniously on the side. "He's not even nearly as good-looking…"

"I don't freaking care about that now, just… go and find your brother; you said he was here somewhere."

"Fine then. But you'll be needing these." Dante walked and slid Red Queen and Blue Rose to Nero. He took them in each hand and nodded.

Dante knelt down and put his fingers on the blue floor. He concentrated on finding a particular pulse, moving his hands left and right. It was hard; the beat was faint and fluctuating, coupled with Nero's own, but ignoring the boy's he managed to feel a stronger pull. He followed his hand across the floor somewhere to Nero's right.

Just as he was about to pick up the spot, he felt something else aside from the pulse. It was like… a little wave, gliding across the surface. There was airiness to the flow, and it seemed like… a breath.

Something else was breathing.

Dante's head snapped up and he grabbed Rebellion, just as a group of shark-like creatures dove from the top into the ground.

_Cutlasses!_ He thought as one leaped up and collided with his sword. He crouched, giving the floor a sweeping view as another group came out and circled him.

Nero's eyes widened as two of the reptilian demons split up, left the ring around Dante, and came towards him from opposite sides. Rolling partly to his left, he slammed his Devil Bringer into the ground, launching himself three feet into the air, just as the Cutlasses sliced through where he had been a split second ago, the tips of their fins grazing and ripping the edges of his clothes.

At the same moment that Nero used the Devil Bringer to launch himself into the air, the entire room flashed white as the demon arm made contact with the ground. And, in the split second, Dante saw the black silhouette of a man below the surface. As Nero left the ground, the room turned back to the blue-with-black-stripes color.

Dante brought Rebellion behind him. It started to crackle with red and black energy as he steadied his footing on the ground. Carefully falling into a lower crouch, he waited as the cutlasses made a final round and sped towards his direction. Gripping the hilt tightly, he released the energy in a drive and overdrive just as they cut through the floor above the place where he had seen the silhouette. They shrieked as they were launched sideways by a triple blast, splitting the ground clean in half.

Nero fell back to the ground and howled in pain. His leg was now in worse condition than before, but at least he wasn't sliced in three. Now, he prepared himself from the oncoming demons. Charging Blue Rose, he shot one dead clean out of the ground. It didn't last though, as one came dangerously close to his hand and, for the third time, knocked his customized revolver away.

Now angry at the whole losing-Blue-Rose-again thing, he swung and sliced at those around him. He managed to get two, but they were swerving and coming at him faster than before. He grit his teeth and grabbed the one to his right before it hit him, and wrenched it out of the ground. It struggled wildly, but was struck lifeless as he swung it like a lasso, also flinging its other companions out of the ground as they made contact. Nero gave one final roar and threw it scores of yards away, satisfied by a nasty crack as it came down.

His satisfaction was short lived, though, because just as the demon hit the ground, another fin obscured his vision and sped towards him. In a desperate panic, he wheeled and caught it by the tip of Red Queen, right between his legs. He held fast, or else he would be hit somewhere very painfully and get split down the middle. He started to feel the strain as it struggled against the blade.

"Dante! Would you hurry it up?!"

"I'm in a bit of a situation in here too, kid!"

"Well that's obviously not as alarming as mine!"

Dante stole a glance at him and snorted at his panicky face. Nero was sitting halfway up, supporting himself with Devil Bringer and the other holding Red Queen against a cutlass in a very unfavorable place.

The creature suddenly gave an almighty thrust that caused Nero to slide back a few inches. As he did, he dug the claws of his Devil Bringer into the ground, and the room turned white again.

Dante watched in between swings as the silhouette surfaced. There was no mistaking that pale complexion and blue coat.

"Vergil," he breathed, and ran towards the figure once he split the last cutlass that was attacking him.

Suddenly, a Chimera seed materialized out of the wall and clung onto his twin, forcing Vergil into a semi-upright position. Dante stopped dead in his tracks as it wrapped its tendrils around him and exposed its blades.

He huffed and pulled out Coyote-A, pointing it at the demon… and his brother. The demon squirmed wildly and pressed its blades against Vergil's neck. Dante frowned.

"Sorry, but I didn't come this far to lose my brother to you."

Without further ado, he pulled the trigger. The Chimera seed recoiled as the shots landed themselves in it and completely missed the man. It quivered and burst, leaving him to slump down to the floor. Dante was about to breathe a sign of relief when Nero yelled again.

"DANTE!!"

He snapped his head toward his friend, whose Devil Bringer had just gotten nailed by another cutlass. As he skidded to his left, the white room turned to a neon green color. Suddenly, otherworldly sounds came from the top as another group of cutlasses started diving down.

Dante rushed toward his brother and picked him up. As he carried him, he noticed that he was bruised and bleeding all over too, and to top that, he was out cold. He ran towards Nero's direction, and saw the portal growing smaller. Picking up his pace, Dante gave a final heave and yelled, "Trish!" just as he flung his brother's body toward the portal. Vergil disappeared in a flash.

Nero watched as the man in blue disappeared. Just then, the group of Cutlasses jumped into the air, descending over him with their blades trained. He turned his head away from the attack, but never got to feel the pain as Dante shot them dead in mid-air. They fell helplessly around Nero, and Dante flipped over him, blasting the other two that were pinning him. He landed in a crouch to Nero's left and released another drive toward the portal. It did little to widen it, but in a second Dante had Nero in a fireman's carry, slung across his shoulders, running toward the closing black hole at top speed.

The room suddenly blazed back to blue, but its black lines had migrated from the top and sides to the bottom. The ground he was sprinting on was now black, and, he realized, stretching the path toward the portal, making it seem twice as long. Around, Assaults materialized and lunged at Dante. He held Nero's good leg in his left, and used the rapid-fire Ivory to shoot at his right. Meanwhile Nero held on to Dante with his human arm and slashed at the pursuing demons with Red Queen in his Devil Bringer. As they neared the portal, Dante came across Nero's revolver. Without losing momentum, he kicked it straight forward to the portal. A moment later he caught up with it, sliding his right foot behind and clipping it with his left, flinging it up behind him just as a football player would with a ball. Nero quickly switched and caught it in the air, doubling the stream of metal that flew across the room.

With one final leap, Dante gripped Nero with both hands as Nero released his third-level charge shot, blasting back the demons in an inferno as they escaped the portal.

---

---

Dante fell forward face first, barely hearing Nero shrieking in pain again as his body slammed on the ground somewhere above his head. He grinned at the ground satisfactorily as he raised his head to find a yelling Nero in front, and Trish tending to Vergil on his right.

"Would you at least try to be careful old man?!?!"

"Hey, you were the one who did the charge shot. No one warned me it had such large recoil."

Nero muttered something under his breath, but took to checking his leg. Dante glanced at Trish.

"How is he?"

She gave him a worried look. "It looks like he'll be fine, but he needs tending to quickly. We need to get back to Devil May Cry, and fast."

Dante nodded and picked up Ivory, which he had dropped when he jumped out. Suddenly, a pained groan sounded, and he looked up happily to see Vergil regaining consciousness.

"Hey Verge! Welcome back to the world of the living!... or, partly anyway," he greeted, faltering as he realized they were still inside the Hell Gate. Dante shook his head and started to pick Nero up, but the boy cringed away from him.

"No way are you carrying me again."

"What, then you'd rather have a demon drag you off somewhere?"

Nero fell silent and rolled his eyes as Dante slung him over his shoulders again.

"Just watch your landing, or I might just die if you jump again."

"Ah don't worry kid. There ain't nothing to be jumping from now."

The words were barely out of his mouth when two Frosts sped towards them. Luce, Ombra, Ivory, and Blue Rose pointed quickly due to reflex, but the demons merely passed them and flew out of the gate. Then, there was a break in the wall near the entrance, and scores of demons flooded out of the gate. They stood in silence for a second as they assessed the situation. Then, Nero said, "Say again?"

"Hey, none of us knew about their breaking-outta-the-wall habit."

"How are we getting out then?"

"Shut it, I'm thinking."

"Well better think fast, cause there might be humans outside!"

Suddenly, a ringing silence dawned on them.

"Lady."

---

---

Dante and Trish rushed out of the portal with their companions in tow, breaking through the scores of demons that burst out with them. They laid Vergil and Nero down at the base of the gate. Trish and Nero razed wildfire with their guns as the demons came out, blasting them to dust before they reached the ground. Dante ran the hundred yards that separated them from Lady, shooting the Assaults, Frosts, Gladii and different Hells along the way. In the final second he saw a line of scythe-wielding demons lunging at her. He was about to train his handguns on them when an explosion blew them away in mid-air, turning them to dust just as he leaped in front of her. Ebony and Ivory quickly went to work as he demolished the surrounding demons.

As he pushed them back toward the portal, a cherry-red Ferrari drifted into place behind Lady. The windows rolled down and guns from the inside opened fire, adding to the metal stream from Dante's guns. Bit by bit, the demons were pushed back to the gate entrance. Once the last one was within, Dante switched to Lucifer and impaled those that tried to come out with ominous red blades. Meanwhile, he concentrated on the Gate's top edges, nailing them diagonally from both tips to the middle of its bottom, forming a large red V. With the last one in place, he murmured, "That's for you, Verge!" and clapped, popping the tops all the way to the bottom. Pulling out the signature rose from his mouth, he threw it at the bottom shard just as the last ones followed through.

The Gate cracked, and fell into ruins at the base.

Dante turned and bowed to his audience, a car and an unconscious woman. Quickly he made his way over to Lady, stashed the rocket launcher inside the car and then lifted her unconscious body, entering the back seat. Nero was there, one hand on his leg and the other on Blue Rose, seemingly happy that nothing knocked it out of his hand this time. In the front seat was Vergil, who was in a semi-conscious state, though more unconscious than awake, and Trish was at the wheel. She turned around.

"Is everyone in?"

Dante gave her a nod and she stepped on the gas, speeding away from the place. He looked at Lady and noticed that her white shirt had a large red blot at the collar. As he pulled it down slightly, he saw the top of a bad-looking scar. Alarmed, he checked if she was even breathing. Fortunately, she was, and her pulse was steady. Breathing a sigh of relief, he tucked her head carefully in the crook of his neck, holding her close as they sped toward Devil May Cry.

---

---

Lady slowly woke up to a dark environment. As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in a car, and it was nighttime. City lights passed in a blur outside the window.

Then, she noticed a white-haired man asleep there. At first she thought it was Dante, but after seeing a glowing arm holding a large revolver, she realized it was Nero.

Now, her attention shifted to the man holding her. He too, was asleep, but she could not make out who it was. As she attempted to crane her neck back to look, a searing pain shot across the back of her neck and shoulder. An involuntary gasp left her at the sudden pain. The man woke up and looked down at her.

"Dante…?"

"Hey Lady. Welcome back to the car," he whispered.

She snorted softly and squinted at the lingering pain. Dante allowed her to sit up on his lap. Lady blinked several times before her eyes got fully adjusted. Then she noticed she wasn't sitting on the car seat, and quickly moved to the space between the two part-devils. He chuckled softly.

"I thought you were just getting comfy."

"Shut up," Lady huffed at him. Just then, Nero woke up to the sound of their bickering. He blinked twice before looking at them.

"Hey Lady… Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright, thanks, Nero. Just giving Dante a piece of my mind."

"Great. Hand it to him for me, will you?"

"Sure."

He nodded and fell asleep once more.

Lady, in turn, fell silent as she felt the searing pain again. Dante leaned forward slightly and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

"Come on, it's okay. I promise, I won't try anything."

"Like you can, 'cause I'd kick your ass," she shot back tiredly at her friend as she settled back in the crook of his neck, trying to block out the pain. He chuckled deeply at her retort.

The silence returned for a moment. Then,

"Did we get Vergil back?"

"Yeah. Big bro's in the front seat."

"That's great. How'd it go?"

"Ah… It was nice. Just another walk in the park."

She nodded against him, though did not bother to find out why he chuckled again. She barely missed Nero muttering, "Like bloody hell it was."

---

---

Half an hour later, they pulled up at the front door of Devil May Cry. Lady went and held the door open for them, though she couldn't see them since the lights were off. Trish was supporting Vergil, or more like half-carrying, seeing that he could barely walk. Dante had Nero across his shoulders and followed them inside. Trish ushered Lady in and told her that there would be bandages upstairs, then pressed the button on her car key, earning her a click from the door lock on her Ferrari before she closed the door to the office.

Dante laid Nero carefully on the couch and brought another chair to elevate his leg on. He grunted his thanks and laid his head back against the couch, breathing tiredly. Vergil was lying across the other couch, already being tended to by Trish. Dante switched on the light, illuminating all of them in a soft, yellow glow, and sat beside Nero, sighing.

"Great day, huh?"

"Yeah right."

"Well at least we got out alive."

"Barely alive," Lady said as she descended down the stairs, already changed to a tank top with a white strip peeking from the side of her neck, staying the blood flow, and rubbing her eyes tiredly. Suddenly she stopped at the bottom stair, shocked at their state. Nero was staring fixedly at his bleeding leg, and Vergil's complexion was considerably less pale with the presence of the bruises. Dante just grinned back at her like an idiot who didn't notice that his head was still dripping blood. She intended what she said as a joke, since she didn't see them clearly in the car or in the dark, but now she saw that they were indeed barely alive.

"What the... you said…"

"Well fine, you can take my pay for a week, but just let me get a new coat first?"

Lady gaped like a fish before registering what Dante was referring to.

"What the hell happened?! I thought you said it was… a walk in the park?!"

"Yeah it was. We just waltzed in there and took Vergil, and now we're all here, comfy and happy."

"Stop it Dante, just… look at yourselves!"

"She's right," agreed Trish, "You look like you got ravaged by whatever was in there."

"But hey, we managed to fight 'em off. Just an easy go."

Lady rolled her eyes as she stomped toward him and examined the cut above his eye. It had healed slightly around the edges, but other than that, seeping red tendrils were still adding to the partly dried blood that caked his left side. He turned the left side away from her and tapped his right cheek.

"Well if you wanna give me a thank-you kiss, you can do it here, babe. The left side needs a little makeover at the moment."

"You're impossible," chorused the girls, as Lady transferred beside Nero's leg to tend to it. He flinched as he looked at her and said, "Careful with the leg… it hurts like hell."

"Well, it did get hurt in hell."

"Shut up."

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts."

"Yeah, like no one knows that."

Dante shrugged just as the door sounded. He stood up and got it. The group heard a faint gasp, followed by " 'Llo Ky. You come to check on your sweetheart?"

"D-Dante…? What happened…?"

"Ah, that's a long story babe. Come on in and make yourself comfy."

Nero's heart nearly burst with joy as Kyrie came into view. She gasped again as she saw his state and rushed forward to hug him.

"Oh Nero…"

"Kyrie…"

She pulled back and sat down beside Lady and Trish, giving each of them a hug. Then she turned back to him.

"What happened?"

"Well," said Dante, who had settled on the arm rest above Vergil's head, "It was incredible. You see, we checked out some portals and Nero here found the right one. There, we saw my dear twin and –"

"And Dante shot me in the leg," Nero cut in.

All eyes turned disbelievingly to Dante, whose mouth was still open in mid-sentence, his hand animatedly frozen in mid-air from making gestures. He quickly recovered and said, "Well that kinda happened in a wild, twisted sorta way, but you know—"

"You _shot_ him in the leg--!?!?"

"Woah, cool off babe, don't get ya panties in a bunch. It wasn't really—"

"Wasn't really intended?? Planned?? Now hold up for just a second you brainless jerk—"

"Wasn't really _me,_" he interrupted. Lady stopped and glanced back at Nero. He nodded.

"Yeah, it was a demon that looked exactly like him. They even had his weapons and personality."

"Yeah I figured the weapons were… say what?"

"Nobody would think it wasn't you cause its ego was just as overinflated like yours."

The red-clad devil paused for a moment. "...Now they're talking," huffed Dante as he stood up suddenly and walked toward the door. However, Trish caught him before he had his hand on the handle.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To find out who're making those demons. If there's one thing I can't stand it's having a replica of me, or any one of us for that matter. That's as dangerous as it could go," he replied, trying to push past her, but she wouldn't budge.

"You're not going anywhere. You just got out of Hell, only half intact, and you aren't healing. You have to give those wounds time to heal."

He glared at her, then shrugged and went back to sit on the arm rest. "Figures…"

"That reminds me," grunted Nero as he sat up, holding Kyrie for support, "Why aren't we healing?"

"Oh yeah, that. I figured someone spiked the room with a kind of gas. That's why I told you to stay outside, kid, or if you'd run after me the first time you'd have been shredded."

"What do you mean… a kind of gas? One that stops us from healing?"

"Nah, kid, worse than that," he said, taking off his coat to examine the cuts on his arm. "That kinda gas stays longer in our systems. Deadly in a way, to part-demons who're on the shit list of other demons, like us three."

"What does that mean?" repeated Nero, now bewildered.

"It suppresses our demon blood. That means, as of now, all of us, except Trish that is, are as human as any other out there."

A ringing silence followed his words.

***

**[A/N: Okay, there was an issue about the four-seater Ferrari between me and my cousin. I chose the Ferrari cause it's one of my favorite cars aside from Lamborghinis, and I know that they're two-seaters by creation, so I was deciding to change it. However, my cousin told me that there were now four-seaters, and frankly I was skeptical at first but seeing as he loved to play Need for Speed and anything to do with cars, I took his word for it. *shrug*]**


	3. Search

**Chapter Three: Search**

It was 11:47 on the clock. However, no-one inside Devil May Cry was in the mood to sleep. Everyone was talking and pondering over their current situation: who could possibly have found a way to make even the legendary Devil Hunters vulnerable? They threw around possible suspects, those that were dead already, of course, since they were inside the Hell Gate.

"Or still alive," said Trish, not looking up from the task at hand. She had considerably cleaned up most of Vergil's wounds, and thankfully he did not retort, since he was out cold again. Her comment earned her the looks of her companions.

"Can't be, they were inside the Hell Gate," said Lady, who was also taking care of Dante's cuts, though a little bit more forceful, making sure to make him wince and keep a smirk off his face.

"Well, it's always possible that this guy might have found a way to make demons carriers, so once they got back inside the Gate, they start spreading it everywhere."

"I thought lesser demons didn't go back into the Gate."

"No, they don't, since they come out to mate and raise their young where there's plenty of food—" -- Nero's face scrunched up in disgust at Trish's words – "--but the larger ones do, to restore power or such. Or the ones like me," she replied after an afterthought, displeasure showing on her face at this reference.

Nero nodded. "Point taken."

"Well alright, let's take those boss ones for example. Do we know anyone who doesn't turn heel and run right then and there after seeing those demons, and has the courage to spike them with a carrier gas?"

"No."

"Then it must be the ones of human likeness. Meaning, the creator could only have come from Hell."

Trish pondered it for a moment. "You're right. The entire ninety-eight percent chance stays with the hell issue, but that doesn't eliminate the other two percent in this world. There could be humans intent on becoming demons, and managed to stumble or create this gas on their way to power."

"But then, if it were anyone, don't you think he'd be out in the open by now?"

"I highly doubt it, Kyrie. Anyone who has found something this big ought to be very secretive about the matter. They might know we have contacts around, so they've tried to keep it secret for as long as possible."

"But then again, something that big can't stay hidden for long."

"Exactly. If it were a human, then by now he could be smuggling it around the area for people to use against attacks. The demons would be pretty pissed if someone was handing out things like that. However, if this guy was in Hell, its use could be for suppressing merely part-demon abilities, though we can't say it doesn't have its effects on pure demons. It, one way or the other, probably affects demonic blood itself."

"It's just luck then, ladies. Enzo or Morrison might have heard about people wanting to become demons and made some pretty toxic air freshener for us so we can't crash their party."

"People who become demons? Like His Holiness?" asked Kyrie from beside Nero.

"Exactly. People who are heartless and cruel, and want everything for themselves. They don't even care if they hurt or kill anyone in the process. Just like my father," snarled Lady, who tugged the bandage too tightly, making Dante gasp audibly.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Lady continued, "Well, if this substance has taken away your abilities as a demon, what of Nero's arm?"

Nero shrugged, bringing his right arm up. "I dunno, it still seems to have power left—" he said, noting the light blue glow, "—but I can't feel anything. Not that it's numb, it's like… I don't feel like it's part of my body."

"Must be really weird, huh, kid?" grunted Dante, as he pried the knot off. He pulled the reddened bandage from his head and shook off the constricting feeling. "So Trish… do you have anyone in mind?"

Trish leaned back and crossed her arms. "Not anyone that I've met, or haven't."

"Lady?"

"I don't know. It could be anyone."

"Huh. Just great," he huffed, leaning back into the sofa.

They fell silent for a moment. Only the ticking of the clock could be heard for a few minutes.

"That reminds me," piped up Nero, shifting into a better position, "How did you know it was a gas?"

Dante shrugged. "I was able to sniff it out right as I entered. I felt my body going funny, and my senses seemed to dull some, but not entirely. That's why I told you to stay outside until I worked out what that gas really did, but I guess I found out after that enormous lizard jumped out at ya. The damned thing put up a helluva fight, and pulled me through its den, that's why you didn't see me when you came in. The real me, that is."

Nero sighed and groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great, really great. They managed all the luck to get three of us in one go."

"Yeah, Verge could've been up and running once he came out of the portal."

"…What do we do now?"

"We'll have to rest and recover in the meantime," repeated Trish.

"Yeah… along those lines, I think I'm healing. The bullets feel less painful already," said Nero, bending his leg experimentally.

"Nah, you aren't healing kid."

"Why d'you say so?"

"'Cause I ain't healing yet."

"That's 'cause we _aren't_ the same person, old man."

"Of course we aren't, and that's not the reason," he replied, pulling out Coyote-A. "This," he said, running his hand along the smooth surface of the barrel, "Isn't just any ordinary hunting shotgun. I've modified it to become more powerful, and for hunting demons, specifically. So let's say I've put in something special to make them really flinch when they feel it. Can't say what it does to us, but seeing you I guess the side effect makes wounds become numb. You're still bleeding internally, but by now you wouldn't feel anything if your tendon just snapped or something."

Nero's eyebrow twitched at his words. "Well, well done, old man. You've just succeeded in killing me in a very slow and evil way."

"Hey, at least it's painless," shrugged Dante. He moved into a more comfortable position, his eyes shifting from the cuts on his arm, to the chair, to Trish, to Vergil.

"How is he?"

"He'll live," she replied, finishing off the last of the bleeding wounds and standing up to put the first aid materials away. "Though I wouldn't know how he would react when he wakes up. It seems like he was tortured before he was left for dead."

Dante's expression hardened at this, suppressing a growl. Trish continued, "That gas better be out of your systems soon, Dante. Vergil's lucky to have survived this long, because of your demon blood. It's fortunate that the gas wasn't in there for very long, or else he would have died. Any human man would."

"I don't know how long the effects of this would last," he admitted, worry lining his face as he observed his brother.

"That's just great. Well, if we're still vulnerable at the moment, we should try fixing up the rest," said Nero, laying out his sword and gun on the table.

Red Queen was in a pitiful state; it was cut around the edges, and the fuel injection system was broken from the demon's attack. Blue Rose looked even worse; its usual luster was gone, traces of the intricate rose design were marred, and the tip of its barrel had a long, thin crack running from the top to the side, all the way to the trigger.

"I designed these myself, but most of the materials came from the Order," he said, particularly fingering the fuel injection system. Dante shrugged. "I dunno kid, that'll be hard to look for."

"The best we can do for now is sit and wait," said Trish.

"And what, wait for me to bleed to death?" retorted Nero.

"He's got a point. Trish, look after big bro. I'm going out."

"Dante—"

"Listen, I need to do something before the situation gets worse. I promise, nothing involving demons. I just gotta go talk to Enzo or Morrison. Maybe they know someone who knows something about this."

"You're still vulnerable, Dante. You know that, and you're toying with a matter that none of us know very much about. Even if you aren't looking for demons, they'll find you."

He turned his back, gripping Rebellion briefly. "Hey, I'm still the Legendary Devil Hunter, ain't I?"

Trish shook her head. His hand slipped from his sword and he looked over to Nero and Kyrie. "Patch yourself up the best you can. I'll be back."

"Right, assuming you'll be before I bleed to death."

"Ah don't worry, you won't, kid," he said, before glancing at Trish. She gave him a stern, but almost pleading look. He smiled. "Take care of yourself."

Trish sighed.

"You too, baby," she replied, and he nodded before he closed the door behind him.

---

---

Dante made his way over to Love Planet, which was two blocks away. Carefully flipping his bangs over his left eyebrow so as not to earn him stares, he entered the building casually.

Lights flashed at him and loud music echoed off the walls as he made his way over to the bar. The woman who was cleaning off bottles was dressed in skimpy clothes, and she winked at him before leaning over. He winked right back.

"Well hello there, hotshot. What can I get you?"

"Just a Pale Pilsen for now babe. Nothing as striking to the fancy for a light day."

"Sure," she replied, before turning around to get him a bottle. Dante leaned his back against the bar and surveyed the scene for the man he was looking for. He wasn't anywhere on the stage, or among those who were dancing. Maybe he was slumped down on one of the tables.

"Here you go, sugar," sounded a voice behind him, knocking him out of his scrutiny. He winked back a 'thank you' and took a swig.

"You know babe, you remind me of someone I know."

"Really… how so…"

"Oh just someone I met during my time around. Pale, plus, had an uncanny liking of bats," he chuckled, downing more of the beer.

"The critters got in the way though, and I prefer prettier ones," he added. She giggled in response, and leaned forward again. "And I'm sure you haven't got a regular around here, hmm…?"

"Ah, I know a few babes here and there, but like I say, stick to what yeh've got," he grinned. "And how about you baby, sure you haven't got a guy in here somewhere?"

"I'm open to every hottie that comes through that door," she replied deviously, smirking as she leaned toward his lips --

"Hey babe! Gemme one of those vodka shots will ya?"

She paused an inch from him, and gave him a wink. "Duty calls, baby."

"Sure," he chuckled. The woman turned around and took the drink, engaging into another flirtatious conversation with the man next to him. He had barely spun his stool around for another survey, when another woman had found her way onto his lap.

"Well hello, Dante…"

"Hey Katie," he greeted. She gave him a brief kiss on the lips before pulling back, her arms still linked around his neck. "You wanna dance?"

"Ah, maybe some other time, babe," he replied, eyes still scanning for his target. She wiggled closer, one hand playing with his platinum hair.

"What happened to your arms?"

"Oh these? I got in a tussle with some… guys."

"Hmm… but I'm sure you beat them off quite right?"

"That I did, sweetheart," he said, squinting through the dark and cursing his partly dulled senses. Katie noticed his behavior and pulled even closer.

"What's with you today, sweetie? Something bothering you?"

"A bit. You see, there's this guy who owes me…"

"Ahh… Here for bad business, I see…"

"You got that right," he said, taking another sip from his beer.

"So who is this guy? I might've seen him around."

"Eh, easy to spot. Small, pudgy, around his late forties. The ratty sort. Likes to holler about how he can buy all the booze in this place and still have enough cash."

"Oh. Him," she said in disgust. He raised an eyebrow.

"You've seen a guy somewhere…?"

"Mmm-hmm. He tried to get it on with me a few hours ago. Told him I only did guys like you-" she ran a finger under his chin seductively, "And besides, he was out of cash."

"Sounds exactly like the guy I'm after."

"Well, he's over there, honey," she said, gesturing to one of the tables at the end.

"Perfect. Thanks babe," he said, making a move to stand up, but Katie stayed on his lap.

"Give him a smack for me, will you Dante…?"

"My pleasure," he smirked, earning him another kiss from the woman before she got off him and walked away, hips swaying. He set down his empty beer bottle and threw some coins down on the counter, and started walking toward the table at the end.

Sure enough, when he reached the table, the guy was slumped down against it, snoring loudly beside eight empty bottles, one which was half-finished still in his hand.

Dante plopped down opposite him and swung his feet over the top of the table. The first contact flung the man's face upward and sent the beer bottle out of his hand. The second contact made the table hit him firmly under the chin as he fell back forward in his stupor, effectively waking him up just as Dante caught the half-finished bottle.

"Whothefu—"

"Hello there, Enzo. Long time no see."

The dazed man blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the guy opposite him, who was now taking a swig off his ninth bottle. He shook his head.

"Lis'n Dante, I ain't got money righ' now—"

"Exactly what I'm here for. You've gotta pay me back buddy."

"I 'ready toldjer, I got no paper righ' now," he repeated, crossing his arms. Dante finished off the last of the beer. "And I suppose you used your good looks to charm our lady bartender friend over there to get a few pints?"

"Damn righ' I did, now stop both'rin' me."

"I've told you, I'm not leaving 'till I get something," he said, staying on his seat. Enzo grumbled a few swearwords before leaning back.

"Ye c'n stay there fer all I care then…"

"No I'm not, so I'll make a deal," replied Dante, leaning on the table. "If you can give me the information I want, then I'll let your debt pass."

"Damn righ' you will," muttered Enzo. "Whaddya want?"

"Do you know anyone interested about demonic blood as of late?"

"Well jus' 'bout everyone 'ere's interested in demons nowadays. The old woman with the cat 'round the block, tha' fireman guy who keeps garlic 'n 'is pocket, tha' 'lil boy with the braces tha' keeps hangin' 'round the park, even tha' 'ol bloke 'ver there," he said, gesturing to a man on the next table, missing most of his teeth and twirling an amulet drunkenly in his hands.

"I mean, someone who's keenly interested on how demon blood can be suppressed. He could probably be running a business or something right now."

Enzo fell silent for a moment, then let his eyes wander toward the ceiling, deep in thought. After a few minutes, he shook his head. "Nah, no rumors got off 'nywhere lately…"

Dante sighed and stood up, walking back toward the entrance.

"I don' owe you 'nything 'nymore Dante!" hollered Enzo.

"Nah you still do, buddy," he called back, before leaving Love Planet. If Enzo had no ideas, maybe Morrison would know something.

---

---

He trekked the streets through the early hours of morning until he reached Morrison's apartment. He walked up the few steps to the door, and knocked loudly.

Nothing happened for almost a minute, but then the lock suddenly clicked, the door flew open, and he was facing a revolver to the forehead. The man holding it gasped in surprise and lowered it.

"Damn, Dante. That's one sure way of getting yourself shot."

"Yeah, I get that with Lady all the time."

Morrison shook his head. "Then what on earth are you doing, knocking around people's houses at one-thirty in the morning?!"

"I just needed to ask. Really important, urgent stuff."

Morrison sighed and stood aside, letting Dante in before closing the door behind them.

"What the blazes happened to your arms?"

"Eh, long story. That's what I'm here to ask you."

He sighed. "Alright, tell me what this is about."

"I've gone to talk to Enzo, but he didn't know anything, so I decided to come here and ask you."

"Right, shoot."

"Do you know anyone particular who's interested in demon blood as of late? Particularly… about how to suppress it?"

The man's eyebrows furrowed at his question. "What leads you to that?"

"Well, let's take it as an accident. Somehow someone managed to spike the air with a gas that suppresses my demonic abilities, but not entirely," he replied, gesturing to his arms.

"Well, I can't say that I have, son. Anyone who is could be in hiding, or else, extremely secretive about it."

"Figures. We haven't ruled out that this guy might also be in Hell."

"There you have it then. Just know that in my case, I haven't heard of anything such. My contacts haven't brought about rumors of demonic activity, except for one earlier, about a few hours before you came. You might just be right, and this guy might be dead already."

Dante sighed and leaned back on the couch, rubbing his temple. At that, Morrison caught a glimpse of his scar.

"This guy really knows how to throw his shots, huh?"

"Yeah," he groaned, as he stood up to leave. "Thanks Morrison. Tell me if you find out anything."

"I always do."

Dante nodded, then stopped. "Oh by the way, how's Patty?" he inquired, as he had let Morrison take the little girl in when his missions started becoming too dangerous to call Devil May Cry a safe place. The man chuckled. "She's doing fine, she's been talking about visiting you sometime."

"Can't at the moment, I've got an issue as far as I can tell right now."

"Eh, I don't think I'll be able to sway her. You know, the fiery attitude."

Dante rolled his eyes. Yeah, he knew. "She still hasn't laid off the ice cream issue?"

"Absolutely not, that's why she's hell-bent on going over tomorrow – I mean, later today."

"What? No, I've told you, she can't, I'm into a real bad situation right now."

Morrison shrugged. "I'll try persuading her, but I doubt she'll lay off the issue."

Dante groaned inwardly as he made for the door. Just what he needed, a little nuisance buzzing around—

"Hey Dante," Morrison's voice sounded, stopping him in his tracks again. "Patty said that she'll be bringing over a friend if she does get to visit. It's someone I took in, orphaned too, and they've become rather close friends."

He turned around. "Since when did you start plucking kids off the streets?"

He shrugged. "I don't but the kid was rather… peculiar."

"Uh-huh. Aren't all kids?" he said, before going out the door.

Pondering over his chances, he started back for Devil May Cry, thinking of alternate solutions they might have missed to the problem at hand.

---

---

It was two in the morning when he had finally arrived, and when he went in the door, the lights were off, and it was silent. Only the moonlight illuminated four figures by the window. Nero and Kyrie, who had fallen asleep beside each other on the couch, Vergil, who was looking slightly more peaceful now, and Trish, who sat beside his twin. The blonde turned her head the moment he got in, and breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes bright blue as his scrutinizing his form for any added injuries.

"Did you find out anything?"

"No. Enzo and Morrison had no leads on this guy."

He could make out her form nodding, then he stretched and yawned.

"Get some sleep."

"How 'bout you?"

"I'll watch over your brother," she replied, and he grunted thanks in response. Removing his coat and shirt and draping them over his table, he climbed the stairs and head to his bedroom. Closing the door silently, he lay down on his bed, putting his mind to rest.

It had been a long day.

***

**[A/N: I had some help with the bartender and Katie. Had absolutely no idea with how the conversation was going to go… and I'm probably gonna introduce that new character sometime soon.]**


	4. Findings

**[A/N: I'll just post this tonight (or is it nighttime over there?) because I won't have time to tomorrow morning... I've got summer classes early. Wow, two chapters in a day. Milagro. But then I wouldn't be able to update tomorrow.****]**

**Chapter Four: Findings**

_Well that's a really nice way of waking someone up, _he thought as a cold wave washed over his bare back. He turned his head to the other side to check the digital clock. It was 7:26 in the morning. Barely able to believe it, he turned his head to the other side again to continue his sleep.

A second later though, another cold wave washed over his back, a bit more this time and drenching the sheets beneath him completely. He groaned rather loudly at the sleep-restart interruption, but before he could try dozing off again, a rather high pitched voice echoed beside him.

"Dante! Wake up!"

_Damn. Patty. How the hell did she get upstairs…?_

"Dante!"

He groaned again and hid under his pillow. It wasn't long before two more waves of cold water hit his back and pillow above his head.

"Dante!!"

Giving up, he started rolling to his side, but groaned again as the wooden floorboards came rushing up to meet him. Patty crossed her arms and tapped her foot, watching the man sprawled out on the floor in front of her impatiently. The dull tapping echoed loudly in his ear and bounced around in his skull, adding to his annoyance. He slowly hoisted himself up on his knees, coming to eye level with the girl.

Patty gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she took in the multitude of cuts he had sustained.

"What happened to you Dante…?"

"…Me? Oh, you mean all of these? Just got them recently, during an unfortunate incident when a girl attacked me in my sleep."

She blinked. "Was it Lady?"

"No, I meant this particular morning at around this time."

Confusion quickly changed to defiance. "Hey, those were only water balloons! And water balloons don't cause cuts!"

"They can _cut _a very nice nap."

"Haha, very funny Dante!"

"Yes, I know, I'm hilarious."

She stomped her foot on the ground in annoyance. He blinked blearily at her. "What are you doing here this early in the morning, anyway?"

Patty frowned. "Don't play dumb, I know you visited Morrison last night!"

"Technically it was very early this morning," he yawned, getting up and sitting at the foot of his bed. "And I take it he failed to convince you not to come?"

"That's right, cause you still owe me those ice cream cones!"

He groaned at the statement. "Aren't you acting a little immature for someone—" he did a quick count of the years that passed "—fourteen years old?"

"Immature? Look who's talking mister! At least I don't sleep in my underwear!"

He shrugged as he realized he was just wearing his red cotton boxers. "Well, I seem to recall that I live here, kid," he said, heading toward the bathroom, "Meaning I can do whatever I want."

"But other people live here too! Don't you respect them?!" she retorted as she tailed him like a very pompous dog.

"Who, you mean Trish and Lady?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, then I'm actually doing them a favor. Nothing like opening your eyes in the morning to the sun-kissed body of a god."

"Ugh, you're disgusting!"

"Ah, whatever. Go back down and ask the girls, they'll tell ya. In the meantime, I'm off to take a nice, hot shower."

Patty turned around and _hmphed _in annoyance, heading back down the stairs to the rest of the group.

---

---

Twenty minutes later, when he had slipped on a nice red shirt and his leather shorts, Dante head down the stairs to find his companions chatting. Trish, Lady and Kyrie seemed to be giggling about something, while Patty was laughing beside Nero, who was also grinning. He had his arm around his little 'sister', as they called it, since Patty looked up to him as a second big brother. One that she preferred of course, since this brother didn't make cocky remarks or innuendos all the time.

He paused on the foot of the stairs, smirking. The giggling died down a bit, though that seemed to choke the girls.

"Oh speak of the Devil," snorted Lady, who was still trying her best to suppress a laugh. Trish, Nero, and Kyrie were still chuckling though, and Patty was still laughing.

Dante's smirk grew bigger, and taking his most ego-inflated pose against the wall, shaking his silvery bangs out his eyes, he cocked his eyebrow at them.

"I told ya they'd agree that I was good to look at."

At this, the girls snorted and Patty said, "We weren't talking about your looks, stupid."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, were those the ones he ripped--?"

His eyes grew wide at the unexpected comment and he stared at Lady, jaw dropping.

"You DID NOT—"

"Yeah I did," she smirked, as the room burst into another fit of giggles.

"Why you—" he started, going after Lady, but was stopped by Trish.

"Come on, let us have fun once in a while Dante. Someone needs to lighten the mood especially after what happened yesterday."

"Oh, and you find talking about my embarrassing times funny?"

"That's right," chorused the girls, and they started laughing again. He looked over to Nero, who was chuckling, and fixed him a deadly glare.

"What old man? I mean, who knew you could be 'the moves' when you ripped your—"

"Hey, shut it kid, you're still dying, remember?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I could speed up the process if you'd like."

"Yeah right."

Dante was about to say something back at them when he noticed another presence among them. She was seated on his billiard table, carefully turning a long object he recognized as Nero's sword. She seemed to be very deep in thought as she observed the fuel injection system. He looked back at Patty.

"So, Miss Sassy, who's the new kid in town?" he asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Hey I'm not sassy! And that's my friend, Akia."

"Akia? Unusual name, ain't it?"

"Got that right. Call me 'Aki' instead."

Her voice came unexpected to him. Instead of the higher – pitched one he heard from the ladies, the girl's voice was deep, but not as deep as a man's, though.

She slid off the table and twirled the sword in her hand, parrying an invisible opponent. It was quick and brief, and she gave Red Queen a final flourish before touching its tip to the ground. It then hit Dante that she was skilled in swordsmanship. All the more unusual.

"So… I hear Morrison has taken you in."

"Yep. We met a few weeks back."

"Okay… where exactly did you meet?"

"…On the street. I thought he told you that?"

"Oh yeah, he did—wait. How did you know?"

"He told Patty and me that you stopped by earlier this morning," she said, fiddling with the handle.

"Okay then," he replied, furrowing his eyebrow. He seemed to like this kid, though he was still suspicious.

"So tell me, Aki… d'you like weapons?"

"Like hell yeah. You've got a pretty nice set there, and I checked Lady's launcher out a while ago."

"Well that's great," he said, reaching for Rebellion. Tension began to form around his seated companions and Trish rose from her seat. "Dante—"

"And d'you like fighting too?"

"Kinda, but not the fighting with words kind."

"Yeah, you're right, that's the only thing Patty's good at."

"Hey--!"

"Soo…" he continued, ignoring the rising tension behind him. Aki looked at him through dark brown eyes that had the piercing quality to them. Short, dark brown, almost black hair fell behind her ears, masking none of the calmness she showed while twirling Red Queen. It struck Dante that not only her presence was unusual, but also her figure. She had a strong build, maybe slightly taller than Lady, and was a shade darker than normal tan.

"…you from Chinatown?"

"Nope."

"Oriental then?"

"Nuh-uh. I come from the south-east," she replied. At the small silence that followed, she added, "South-east Asia."

"Wow. You never told me that," piped up Patty, who was leaning on Nero's good knee. Aki chuckled.

"Well you never did ask."

"Oookay, so let's say this is all getting really unusual. How'd you wind up on the other side of the world, plus, how come you know English so well?"

She smiled. "Okay. One, I was going to visit my cousins in New Jersey, but the flight person in the airport mixed the tickets with the flight to New York. Two, English was simply the first language taught to me. And, frankly, it's not like Asians have complete ignorance of the language."

"Wait, back up. How come Morrison said you were orphaned?"

"I am," she replied. "I just got out of the airport grumbling about lousy flight people since I realized I got the wrong flight, half way here from wherever the get-off point was, and I was deciding to order a pizza when Morrison and Patty came along." She shrugged again. "Well, I was hoping to live-in with my cousins, but since I spent my money on the wrong flight I was practically on my own. I couldn't turn down an offer from a good guy like him."

"Hmm, right. So let's say I believe this little story just as I believe that you're good at handling that thing," he muttered, eyeing Red Queen.

"Then you already know much about me then," she replied.

"I'll clarify that first," Dante said, and he lunged at her suddenly in the midst of the yells of his companions who tried to stop him. However, she sidestepped his first attack and parried three, four, five more of his attacks before stopping at his side, pointed an imaginary gun at his face, and muttered, "Bang."

Everything happened so fast that there was silence for a good five seconds, and the girls and Nero laughed out loud.

"Ooh, she _got _you, old man!"

"Classic."

"Nice!"

Dante smiled thoughtfully and lowered Rebellion, raising his hand for a high-five. Aki responded, and holstered her imaginary gun. This time, Dante laughed out loud.

"And how old are you again, exactly?"

"Fourteen."

"Huh. At least you're not as immature as Miss Sassy over there."

"Hey, I told you, I'm not sassy! And you should be thanking me mister, cause she said she's interested in your shop! Not many people say that you know!"

"You're interested in this place?" asked Lady.

"More on the business actually. I could be of help."

"You're a bit young to be working, kid. Aren't you supposed to be in school or something? You look like the type who'd be serious in studies."

"Never been to school ever since my parents died. That's why I've been looking for a way to get back at their killers, which, I think you guys are familiar with."

"You know about what we do then?"

"Absolutely."

"Then you're sure you can handle a bunch of otherworldly creatures?"

"Hey, I handled you well in the fight."

"Then you've got guts, kid. Welcome to Devil May Cry," grinned Dante. Aki bowed her head a little and started out the door.

"Uhh… Aki? Where'r you going?"

"To retrieve my stuff at our place."

"I thought you already brought your stuff with you?"

"I left something. Plus, I need some materials. I'm gonna get that sword fixed."

"You can?" asked Nero suddenly, sitting up. Aki nodded.

"I'll be back in a jiffy—"

"Hold on, I can give you a ride," offered Lady, who stood up and took her keys. Aki smiled and said "Thanks," and they headed out the door.

A silence followed at their departure, and Nero sighed contentedly. Then, a shrill voice broke the silence.

"See Dante? Now I want my ice cream cones!"

---

---

Morrison had stopped by around noontime to pick Patty up, who was still in a bad mood since she didn't get her ice cream cones yet. Just as they left, Lady and Aki arrived, bringing lunch with them.

"Yeah, pizza!" yelled Dante as he saw the package, and only he out of the entire group ate it. The others enjoyed a rather delicious meal from a restaurant.

"So Aki… how much are you asking for pay once we finish a job?" asked Lady.

"Pay? I don't fancy money that much…" she said, and Dante whooped.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No really, I don't like buying stuff a lot…"

"You mean you're not interested about anything at all?"

"Come to think of it, I usually do my job better when given an incentive. Way better," she smirked, as she chowed down on the chicken.

"What's that?"

"You can give me anything that has to do with time."

Bewildered looks crossed their faces, so she continued, "You know, wristwatches, wall clocks, digital clocks… even dead clocks out of dumpsters."

"You're kidding… right?"

"Nope. Just that, and leaving me alone while I work."

"You mean when we're on a job? Fair enough but that's really boring—"

"No, nothing like that, I mean working on fixing and modifying your stuff."

Nero stopped in mid-bite. "Modifying? You mean like, you can rig our weapons with more power or such?"

"Yep, that's gonna be my job. However, if I get disturbed while I'm at it, I might actually destroy the weapon in the process." She took another bite from the chicken. "I need your permission first though, if you want more gizmo bites on those things."

"Does this extend to demonic weapons?"

"Demonic? Like, from demons?"

"That's pretty much what the Devil Arms are."

"…I can, but I can't do anything to something that might have been a keepsake to Sparda."

Everyone paused at this and caution was thrown into the wind again.

"You know about Sparda," said Trish slowly. It was a statement, not a question.

"Of course, the mighty savior and such, Legendary Dark Knight, all those waffles. Had twin sons, one who is currently sleeping and one who just paused in mid-bite on his pizza. On the keepsake matter, yes, I cannot do anything with Rebellion or Yamato at all."

No-one said anything for a moment, puzzled on how she could know so much. Tension arose again as they continued to eat in silence. Dante watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye, but Aki didn't attempt to do anything except enjoy her meal. When he had finished his last pizza, he wiped his mouth and asked, "So what do the time gadgets have to do with all this?"

"Nothing actually. I just like that stuff," she replied, also finishing her meal and bending over to pick up Red Queen, Blue Rose, and her things.

"You don't mind, do you, Nero?"

"Yeah. Do whatever you want with those, but be careful."

"Great. You have a spare room?"

"Upstairs, second on the right."

"Okay. See you, guys. If you wanna ask something, knock twice."

Murmurs of agreement sounded around her, and they watched her back retreat up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, they leaned back into their chairs.

"Is it just me, or are we trusting someone we barely know and who comes from the other side of the world a little too easily?"

"Maybe. I think it's best if we keep an eye on her."

"I dunno, babe. She seemed pretty harmless."

"She _killed_ you with an imaginary gun."

"Huh. Figures."

"I don't know, I think I trust her. If she's willing to try and fix that sword, and even rig it with more stuff herself, then I think she's alright. The fact that she killed you with a bang helps, too."

"Can everyone drop the 'killing me' issue?"

"No."

"Ah well, damn. She ain't a demon after all," said Dante, leaning back into his seat. "Trish?"

The blonde paused, then shook her head. "No, I didn't feel anything. Definitely human."

"Well, another point to her. At least we know that she isn't a threat."

"Are you implying that humans are weak?" Lady asked quietly, not looking at Dante. He stopped and quickly recovered. "Of course not babe—"

"Good answer. Otherwise you'd be sleeping in black oblivion by now."

He chuckled. "Same 'ol Lady. I've always loved that stubborn side."

She rolled her eyes and picked up Kalina Ann, announcing that she was heading out and effectively ending the conversation. Trish nodded knowingly, and said, "Chris?", earning her a brief smirk from Lady. Just as she was about to go out, Kyrie stood up and followed her, to the bewildered look of Nero. She said that she needed to check on father, since she had been there for a day, and had left him with her cousin. However, she promised she would be back when Lady was. Nero sighed and asked her to stay safe, as it would be risky to expose themselves while they were in a vulnerable state. Kyrie nodded and hugged him, before heading out the door.

Lady was about to approach her motorbike when Trish appeared by the double doors.

"Lady!"

"What?"

Trish chucked something at her, and she caught it in her open hand. It was her car keys.

"Take the car. That way you'll both be safe if something happens."

"Oh, alright. Thanks," replied Lady gratefully, and she and Kyrie got into the red Ferrari.

"I'll try to find out anything about that gas while I look for Chris," she called back to Trish, who waved before heading in.

As the sweet hum of the engine sped away, Trish settled back down beside Vergil, touching his forehead gently with the back of her hand. His temperature was stable, and so was his pulse. Both good signs.

"Sooo… who exactly is this Chris guy?" Dante cut in. She shrugged.

"Lady's boyfriend," she replied nonchalantly.

His scarred eyebrow perked at this and he gave her a disbelieving look. Trish suddenly laughed out loud at his face before settling into a chuckle.

"What? Can't I look surprised that someone actually has the guts to hit on a babe who looks ready to shoot anything that comes near her?"

"Is it just me, or are you actually getting jealous?"

"Jealous? Me? Come on, babe, why would _I, _of all people, get jealous?"

Nero snorted at this. "I dunno, maybe because you practically live with a woman who finds someone who's better than you?"

"Hey, you're just saying that kid cause you, unlike me, can only go teddy bear to a single chick in this entire universe."

"At least Kyrie and I get along."

"Huh, right. Well, in any case, I feel sorry for this guy."

"Just proves you _are_ jealous."

"Nah, cuz, I mean, if Lady were to go on a date, d'you think she'd have that huge piece of machinery strapped to her back?"

---

---

The two women drove along the highway at around late noon, chatting like old friends. Each had gotten used to the other's presence due to the amount of time Nero spent at Devil May Cry. Lady offered to drop Kyrie over at her parent's house first, but she refused, despite Lady's warnings that things could get ugly. They argued about it for almost five minutes, but Kyrie won her over, saying that she should get her business done first. It seemed that the girl did have some guts of steel inside her, after all.

After a twenty-minute drive, they stopped to collect Lady's money from a dealer who owed her, and had gone into hiding, thinking he could outsmart the petite devil hunter. It had been going on for over a period of time, and every time Lady confronted him he'd managed to worm his way out, or she'd suddenly get an urgent call for a job. Not this time though, as Lady had pulled up in front of his car.

"Alright man, what are ya doing, I ain't done nothing, kept to the speed limit, what now?"

Lady shook her head as the dealer squinted with no success at her through the tinted window, grumbling angrily about undercover police.

The dealer honked hard, raising his voice, "Hey come on man, I ain't done nothing wrong, why're you pulling me over?"

Lady unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to roll down the window when Kyrie held her wrist.

"Lady, isn't it dangerous? He might have a gun!"

She chuckled. "Watch me," she smirked, winking at her companion and rolling down the window. She watched as the man's face morphed from an enraged expression to one of fear. He immediately stopped honking. Lady leaned casually against the car door and looked at him expectantly behind auburn sunglasses.

"Lady! I uh—well I was…"

"Shut it Chris, and let's get down to business. How long has it been?"

"No really Lady, I was just going to—"

"Get my pay from wherever that safehouse was? Well doesn't that sound familiar…"

"Now listen here…" Chris pleaded, sweat dripping down his forehead. He wrung his rough hands together, licking his dry lips in fear. "I'm really in a hurry right now, um, can you visit me some other time…?"

"You seem to be in a hurry for a good part of two months. You're working for someone new, aren't you? Well, listen carefully: I'm not going anywhere nor am I letting you go without my pay. Besides, no demons are about to show up anytime soon, seeing as I've just wiped out an infestation."

Chris gulped, his hands trembling on the wheel. Lady tapped her fingers casually on the side of the car, staring him down. He had avoided her for too long, and now it was payback time.

"Lady I… you see… well you're right I-uh, I'm taking jobs from someone else now and…"

"And there's no reason why you can't pay me. Must be bad business from a tough boss, I assume, since you looked so eager to get away."

"It's not what you think… Lady you… I mean I—" he started, but held his tongue. Chris then turned his head away from her, looking straight ahead. Then, he took a deep breath and said slowly, "I'm sorry… about this… but—"

Bi-colored eyes shot from his face to the sudden twitch in his fingers, then, obeying her honed lightning-fast reflexes, she turned and yanked Kyrie's head down just as six bullets were emptied into the car, ruffling the tips of her hair and just missing Kyrie's neck. It broke the passenger seat window, spraying them partly with a hail of shattered glass. A moment not too soon, she heard the roar of the car speeding backwards, semi-drifting messily to the side and grip forward. Growling, she grabbed the clutch and sped forward in a burst of speed in pursuit of the dealer.

Chris sped down the highway at top speed, but Lady kept close on his tail. Around, the cars honked in alarm as the Ferrari and the Toyota grazed their sides. Kyrie screamed as they nearly hit a truck, but Lady managed to swerve out of the way, eyes locked on the Corolla.

"Lady! Are you mad?! Just let him go!"

"No can do. He's pissed me off for the last time."

Kyrie could do nothing but sit out the wild ride as they encountered many near hits along the way. Reaching a more deserted part of town, Chris rounded and sped into an alleyway, scattering chickens on the side. Lady followed suit, making clean work of his messy track as she concentrated on not hitting the turns.

At a bend, the dealer unceremoniously turned right sharply, knocking over barrels of oil on their way. Lady's eyes widened as the Ferrari wobbled when they hit the slippery substance, the tail of the car clipping the wall and grating against it, chipping the paint and making sparks fly. Undeterred, she changed gear and sped faster, the Corolla's speed not a match for the Ferrari's.

Chris glimpsed her from his side window, getting closer despite the oil trails. In desperation, he stuck his hand out of the window and fire wildly. At this move, Lady yelled, "Duck!" and lowered her head a few inches forward, as bullets streaked towards them, ricocheting off the cemented walls. Some broke off pieces of cement, obscuring part of her vision in the dust clouds. But then, two bullets hit their tilted windshield, ricocheting upward but breaking it partly. Tendrils of the break spread from the contact points.

As Kyrie yelled something else inaudible, Lady looked up and saw that he had run out of bullets and was changing magazines. Quickly, she drew her gun and aimed.

Her first three shots broke his side mirror, shaking him effectively as the Corolla skid slightly. Just then, he had stuck his hand out of the window again, turning it into an all-out firefight as they flew out of the alleyway back onto the dimming street.

People screamed as the screeching wheels of both cars ran by them, adding up to the metal stream that came from both drivers' windows. Chris was dangerously close to hitting those behind him with his bullets and those in front of him with his car, since he kept shifting his gaze to Lady and the road because of the loss of his side mirror.

Lady swerved around him, getting closer by the minute. At the last second, her bullets finally caught his right wheel, making the entire car wobble. She heard Chris shout before the Corolla skidded completely to the left, cutting off the path in front of her. She jerked hard on the steering wheel, missing him by mere inches as the car's nose tilted up and to the left, sliding over and knocking over a post. As if in slow motion, the post descended on the drifting Ferrari, grazing the slanted hood right to the tip of the nose as the car finished the drift right beside the overturned car.

Lady and Kyrie sat there for a moment, panting heavily. They looked at each other, as if to confirm they were both still alive, and were not smashed underneath the post.

Lady nodded once and got out of the car, drawing her pistol. "Kyrie, find cover."

"Lady—"

"Go, now! I'm sorry for dragging you into this… but I did tell you that things could get rough… you need to stay out of sight."

Lady turned her head from her companion and approached the car. She watched as Chris fell out of the wreckage and cringed away from her.

"So Chris… what were you going to tell me?"

He opened his mouth but coughed violently as blood stained his shirt. He looked up at her to be faced with a gun at point-blank range.

"Talk," she growled, finger resting lightly on the trigger. "Who have you been working for?"

"H-he said he would d-destroy my r- reputation… i-if… I didn't… comply…" he choked out, gripping the wound on his side. "I won't tell you…"

"No, you are, and you're going to tell me right now. What the hell is going on?!"

"I - I … he…" he spluttered. He lay his head down on the ground, panting heavily. Lady thought she saw his eyes flash, but when she stepped closer, it had returned to its normal color.

"Talk before I decide to find out myself!" Lady yelled, cocking the gun. She did not intend to kill him, only to shake him enough so he would spill the beans on whatever was happening.

"A…a…demon…"

"Demon…?" she whispered, eyebrows furrowing. Chris nodded weakly, still crawling further from her. She could almost feel the battle going on inside his head as he struggled with his wills. Finally, he opened his mouth and croaked,

"His name w-was…Ne… Nelo… Cr- Credo..."

A silence dawned on them as Kyrie's eyes widened. Lady stopped in utter shock and disbelief as her eyes traveled to her companion inside the car.

Suddenly, just as Lady turned her head, Chris' hand flew to his coat, and in one heartstopping moment, a shot was heard.

***

**[A/N: I never thought I had to work hard to actually **_**give**_** a chapter some huge loopholes. Well, I'm satisfied with teasing my cousin with this. She's gotten on my nerves, too. Mission accomplished.**

**So... how's the story so far? Is it alright?]**


	5. Attack

**[A/N: Warning: If you have a sensitive stomach, don't read. To my dear cousin, since you over-act too much, skip this chapter altogether.]**

**Chapter Five: Attack**

Lady breathed deeply. She watched as Chris slumped down on the ground, a large portion of his skull blown away completely. She felt it, the tingle of fear, and the very shiver up her spine, when icy fingers gripped her heart as the bullet sailed past her shoulder and left nothing but his lower jaw hanging from his neck.

Sniper.

Almost betraying her will and the very scream of instinct to get out of there, she turned slowly to face one of the towering buildings behind her. Though her human eyes could not make out any figure from the shadows, she knew that an assassin was watching her intently.

Seconds passed and she was frozen to the spot. She knew very well that even if they tried to speed away, Trish would be wiping bloodstains and meat from the car seats. Only the rush of her own jagged breathing could be heard, as there were no other people or cars around after the shootout.

Blood from the man beside her pooled under her boots, soaking them with dark red. She kept having the feeling that her blood would soon join the one under her if she didn't do something now. Lady prayed that even the police might come to investigate, but nothing happened. After a full minute, a shift finally happened.

The moon peeked out from behind them, illuminating the sky which was slowly turning from its orange hues to navy blue.

Its light fell upon the building from which Lady spotted a glint. Her eyes traveled to the top, where the figure stood, one foot leaning casually on the edge of the window. Beside glinted the weapon, as black and ominous as the shadows around. They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before the buzzing of engines brought her back to her senses. Her hands immediately flew to her pistols, and yelled, "Kyrie, get out of here!", but was too late to aim as a damp cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose.

Her immediate reaction was to gasp for breath, but she stopped, sending her reeling. To her right, she heard Kyrie's muffled screams as the girl was dragged out of the car seat. She fought hard against the bear hug applied from behind, which became increasingly difficult without oxygen. However, she managed to maneuver herself and her attacker to face the others.

Kyrie was pinned by two men, and one was attempting to put a cloth over her mouth, too. Lady struggled harder and managed to loosen the grip, ultimately giving her time to draw her UZI.

Blood splattered Kyrie's shirt as Lady fired at them, catching one in the neck and the other on the back. The girl screamed as they slumped down, and as she locked eyes with Lady, the point made its way across: _Run, please, don't look back, call for help. Save yourself._

However, Kyrie stood rooted to the spot. At that same moment, two fingers jabbed the areas right below Lady's shoulder, and to her horror her struggling arms went completely limp, just as Kyrie was once again overwhelmed.

Lady felt helpless as she feebly tried to stand her ground, but now her vision became blurry. Her lungs screamed for air, but she refused to take a breath. Finally, she slumped down into the arms of her attacker, and was dragged back slowly.

Black spots appeared out of the corner of her vision due to the lack of oxygen. She felt a coarse rope being bound to her hands, but no longer had the strength to resist. Just as she was about to pass out, she saw a pair of boots stop by her.

A female voice sounded, "Let go of the other one. This is the one we need."

Praying that they were letting Kyrie go, Lady was overcome with relief as they undid the other girl's knot. Silently wishing that Kyrie would get to a safe place, she was dragged further back, obscuring her vision of her companion.

Her gaze shifted upwards to female assassin who had spoken. Lady could not make out her face though, because of the dim light and the cloth she was using to hide her features. Instead, her eyes fell on the huge black weapon she had used to blow Chris' head off.

Lady recoiled in shock before succumbing to unconsciousness, barely registering the last thing that ran through her mind:

_Spiral…_

---

---

"Shouldn't they be back by now?"

"Kid, you obviously haven't been on a date before. It's still eight in the evening."

"I doubt Lady would leave Kyrie, Nero. They've become really close friends, you know."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about what's taking them so long."

"Maybe they went to the mall to go shopping. You know, women."

"Kyrie isn't like that."

"Oho, you'd be surprised, my boy, of how even the most cute and innocent-looking of women can be the most cunning of vixens."

Nero rolled his eyes at Dante's comment, not sure if what he said made any sense anymore. He tapped his left hand on the armrest impatiently; unable to shake the feeling that something might have happened.

Trish finally stood up and pulled a chair beside Nero's leg. He stiffened as she sat down, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Checking your leg," she replied, and carefully folded his pants up to the knee. They were met with a gruesome sight.

"Oh God…" moaned Nero, looking away from his shin. Trish's face scrunched up and she turned her head slightly, too.

His right calf alone had six bloody holes in them, and around the spot the skin seemed to have ripped itself with a multitude of jagged gashes around each one. The muscles around the Achilles' Tendon were locked, like a cramp. The bullets that were embedded in the bone poked a sixth of an inch beneath the skin and glinted eerily in the light under the red blanket of damp and dry blood that coated the surface. Mangled beyond recognition.

"What's happened kid?" asked Dante, who had just taken a pizza from his fridge, and was munching noisily on it. He stopped abruptly as he looked over Trish's shoulder.

"Damn the bloody demons above—" he choked, stumbling away and dropping the pizza. "I just lost my appetite…"

"Says the man who did this," said Nero through gritted teeth, and although he couldn't feel the pain anymore, the mere sight was nauseating.

"Six bullets. That means there are between two to eight more in your thigh," said Trish. Nero's jaw dropped.

"Six? How many bullets did you fit to a shot in that, old man?!"

"Fourteen," confirmed Dante, who was now lamenting the loss of his pizza, which he dropped on the carpet that had many years' worth of dust in them. He cursed inwardly before leaving it and sitting on the armrest on Nero's left. "Man, that sucks."

"Next time, shoot yourself in the head with that thing…"

"Hey, come on, it was just friendly stuff to make the demons flinch."

"Wait," said Trish in a worried voice. Nero groaned. "Don't tell me it's something worse…"

"It's not good, Nero... one's… deep in the knee. From this angle, I'd say you've torn one or two ligaments."

Nero groaned loudly again, mentally cursing. He glared at Dante, who had put on the _'hey-it's-not-my-fault'_ face. "Could we just pull them out or something, while I can't feel it? After seeing this I'm beginning to doubt if my leg's still connected to me or not."

He shook his head. "No can do, kid. Pull those things out, and you'll go into shock from blood loss. We'll just have to wait for the gas to run its course, and then you'll heal. The bullets'll just fall out."

Nero nodded, and leaned back. Trish took to cleaning the area around his calf silently, while Dante leaned back in thought. They sat, waiting for the arrival of Lady and Kyrie. Small talk came here and there, but for once, they spent the most of the time in silence.

The clock now showed quarter to nine. Trish stood and put the reddened materials away, and Nero thanked her. She nodded quietly and assumed her position beside Vergil.

The elder twin breathed more easily now. Aside from the cuts and bruises he still had, his pulse continued to flow steadily.

Dante watched his friend and his brother. His lingering gaze soon drew Trish's attention.

"What is it?"

He sighed. "Looking at both of you reminded me of mom. Once when I fell from our rooftop and got knocked out cold, she sat beside me and never left my side."

Dante smiled at the memory. "It took me almost an entire day to recover, 'cause I kinda… broke my neck..." he chuckled. "Verge visited a lot. He was worried, mom told me, and he used his senses to check if I was coming to. Once I started regaining consciousness though, he left rather quickly. All I remember was seeing mom's face."

Trish listened intently to his story, though now, she felt hollow inside. She hated that feeling, which came especially to her. That feeling you get, when someone talks of such a heartwarming experience, yet it leaves an emptiness stemming from not being able to experience the same.

It overwhelmed her. She _envied _everyone around her – although Dante had joked that they all seemed to have dysfunctional families… at least they _had_ a family. She… she was just a demon. Created from someone's likeness. From the very fabric of time and space, and of unspoken materials from Mundus' hand. And she had no one in the beginning.

"Right after that, I sat up, but funnily enough Verge had to whack the side of my head to get it back in place, 'cuz it had started healing when it was in the wrong spot. Mom didn't know why he did it though, and she sent him to his room. Well, I can say he gave me a look that plainly said, _'you can snap your bones back in place yourself next time'_, 'cuz I didn't stand up for him. I didn't know why he did it that time either, and I only realized it later."

The concept of Vergil whacking the side of Dante's head to get his neck correctly attached brought a brief smile to Trish's face. However, her earlier emotions must have shown through, because Dante noticed and smiled, suddenly pulling her into his arms. "Hey, come on, Trish. You know we're all split from our families as well. Now, _we're_ family."

Trish nodded but said nothing, letting herself sink into his arms. Although Dante was a prick and a total ass sometimes, he always seemed to know what to say. He was the one who brought them all together, after all. He spoke the words that changed her life – and had awoken the human heart within. Maybe… he was right, after all. Maybe she did have a chance to live a life worthy of living.

Dante gave her a final squeeze before leaning back and putting his hands on her shoulders. To her surprise, he was doing one of his smug grins.

"'Y'know, I'm all for wondering how Verge'll react when he wakes up and sees you," he chuckled.

It was her turn to smile. "Vergil will be surprised."

"Yeah he would! I can't wait to see his face when—"

"No, I doubt it will be like that. Our first meeting wasn't exactly that warm."

Dante stopped chattering immediately and stared at her. She rolled her eyes. "Mundus created me and corrupted your brother. Don't you think that we would've crossed paths at some point?"

Dante just kept staring at her. She rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "You are so… ach, I don't know. Anyway, what matters is that we've met, and it wasn't friendly. But do I have a debt to repay. I owe Vergil my life."

This time, Dante's jaw dropped. "Is that why you were so keen on watching over him? Well, this sounds like a helluva story."

"…So it seems. When Mundus—", Trish started, but was interrupted as Nero practically jumped up from the sofa, eyes fixed on something outside the window.

"Kyrie? Kyrie! KYRIE!!"

"What??"

"It's her! She's covered in—IS THAT BLOOD?? KYRIE!!"

"Nero, stop moving!" said Trish, but he wasn't listening. Nero made to stand up, but his leg was limp and caught on the chair it was elevated on, knocking him to the ground. Undeterred, he made to get up, but Dante hoisted him back onto the sofa.

"Stop moving, will you?! If you keep this up you'll rip that leg off yourself!"

"I DON'T CARE, LET ME GO DANTE! KYRIE'S OUT THERE, SHE'S GOT BLOOD ALL OVER HER—"

"CALM DOWN KID—!"

"NO! LET ME GO OLD MAN—!"

Their struggle was broken when Trish wrenched the door open, and Kyrie stumbled forward, her whole body shaking with sobs.

"Kyrie? What happened to you—"

"They killed… Chris… dead… Lady… they took her…"

Trish led her to sit beside Nero, but the moment she was within reach he had pulled her down and hugged tightly, as if their lives depended on it. She sobbed harder into his shoulder, as he whispered words of relief and comfort into her ear. Once he let go, he held her trembling face in his hands. "Tell me what happened."

She shook a few more times before she was able to steady herself. "Chris shot us… we… we followed him… crashed… Lady asked questions…"

She took a shuddering breath before continuing, "An assassin… she shot Chris… there were men… we were captured… she shot those holding me but… I couldn't leave her…"

Kyrie gripped the front of Nero's shirt. "Her eyes just _pleaded_ with me to run… but I couldn't… I couldn't… they let me go… the assassin said she was the one they wanted… they… they took her…"

The girl subsided into another fit of sobs. Nero held her close, shocked by her story. Trish had stood up. "Dante—"

Too late. He had already put on his coat, Ebony and Coyote-A already holstered. Ivory was set firm in his right hand and he had already walked out of the door, Rebellion slung across his back. Trish ran out and put a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Dante, listen to me—"

"Don't try to stop me, Trish. Vulnerable or not, I'm not leaving her," he said, his tone icy. He made his way over to his bike and kicked the engine to life. Just as he was about to speed away, Trish ran up to him, holding her handguns.

"I'm coming with you. Heaven knows what you'll encounter," she said, and Dante nodded once. She slung a leg over the bike and held onto him.

"I've informed Aki. She'll watch over them while we're away," she added, answering his unasked question. Without further ado, the engine roared, and they set off into the streets.

Wind whipped at their faces as Dante pushed the bike further. He followed the pull of his instinct to guide their path. Tilting his head slightly, he murmured, "Lady sure chose the best guy for a boyfriend…"

"He's not her boyfriend."

Trish saw one of his blue eyes shift to her for a second before concentrating back on the road.

"So you were just saying that to 'annoy me' or such?"

"No. Lady asked me to."

He was silent for a second. "Why?"

"Because it was her business. Chris was a dealer who asked her on a job. It was one heck of a request, too. However he took to hiding after she finished it, and since then she's been cornering him every chance she had. Some way or another he managed to evade her for two months. Their encounters had increasingly become less friendly each time. You can imagine that her patience was running out."

"I guess. But why did she tell you to lie?"

"Not _lie_, Dante. She just wanted to keep the rest of us from her business. She knew that if you knew, you'd come nosing around and eventually go after him yourself. She doesn't like the idea of you thinking that she can't handle it."

---

---

Candlelight flickered in the corner.

Shadows were cast on the walls of the small room as yellow light touched every surface. A figure lay on the far side, curled up in a fetal position. It was a woman, her hands bound behind her, and a gag placed over her mouth. She stirred feebly, wincing slightly at bruises she had received earlier. Slowly, she opened her eyes to the semi-dark environment.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Once it had, she lay still, taking in every detail of the room she was imprisoned in. It had absolutely nothing in it, except for ten candles flickering in the corner and the mat she was lying on.

After a moment of careful scrutiny, her attention fell to her ropes and gag. Twisting her hands, she attempted to get one of the knots loose. Her breathing came a little faster as she pulled and twisted the ropes, attempting to find a weak spot. A minute later however, she heard the door lock click.

The woman stopped struggling as the doorknob twisted, and two men came inside. She gave them a deadly glare, but they paid no attention to her as they yanked her up from the floor to her feet. She writhed violently at the contact, but they managed a strong hold on her, their grips vicelike on each of her arms.

Another man entered the room. As he did, the woman watched in utter surprise, as the figure that had walked in was a mere memory from over a decade ago. Her eyes locked on those of the approaching figure, the same bi-colored shade gracing both.

The man stopped in front of her and gave her a feral smile.

"Mary, how nice of you to drop in! It's been years — no, a decade, since I saw my favorite niece."

Defiance shot its way up through her veins, and she struggled wildly at her captors. The men grunted as they tried to steady her, but she didn't slow down as she tried to wrench her arms from their grasp.

The man chuckled as he stepped forward and grabbed the gag in her mouth. She let out a loud gasp as it was wrenched violently from her face, leaving angry red cuts on the corners of her mouth.

"You've changed a lot Mary. Well I guess it's no surprise, since we haven't laid eyes on each other for over ten years! How about giving your Uncle Filius a hug?" he taunted, spreading his arms wide.

Almost immediately, she lunged, aiming to kick him, but was restrained and brought to her knees. The next second, one of the men stepped forward and twisted her arm on the shoulder, making her yell in pain.

Filius laughed brutally at the show of force. Lady gritted her teeth as agonized gasps of air burst from her lungs.

"I… should've… known…"

"Hmmm? Oh, of course you should have. You didn't actually think I'd leave my younger brother to take all the power from that colossal tower now, would you? Well, at least I have all that I need right here."

Lady glared up at him. "I had all the damned perfect luck… to be graced with a fucked up family…"

Filius sneered and leaned down, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, eliciting a pained groan from her.

"I suppose by 'family', you'd be referring to my sister-in-law too, hmmm…?"

"SON OF A BITCH!"

"Ah yes, you didn't forget your grandmother."

Lady snarled and with a burst of speed, shook her head from his hand and slammed the top of her forehead against his face. He stumbled back at the headbutt, just as Lady was bought down again with a kick to the back of the knee. Filius growled inaudible curses as he stood back up, wiping blood that was streaming down from his nose.

"You need to learn how to behave yourself, Mary. Otherwise I would be tempted to end your life earlier than needed."

"What the hell are you waiting for, then? My father couldn't wait to kill my mother, after all."

"Ah, don't play me a fool, child. Don't you remember what your father told you? Two amulets, a set of Sparda's blood, and blood from the mortal priestess. Only this time, I won't have to go through the pain of having to obtain the amulets, seeing as one of the two sons is missing."

Lady hid a smirk, rejoicing inwardly at the knowledge that their little trip toward the Hell Gate had remained a secret. Her elation was short lived though, as her uncle raised his hand.

The space within the wooden floorboards began to glow with a red light. It became brighter and brighter, and soon the room was filled with the bloody color. Then, all of a sudden, the glow died down, and a ring shot its way across the floor, creating a circle with Filius at the middle and Lady on the edge. Outside the circle, lines crisscrossed in a webbed pattern. Hundreds of strange glyphs and writings blazed around, appearing and disappearing, as if a hand were writing them.

Lady stared at the space, as the web pulsed with red light, and writing flashed around and underneath her. The writings looked eerily familiar. Suddenly, Filius spoke again.

"I do not intend to make a dramatic entrance out of this just as Arkham did. Although I must admit that it was a sure way to attract the attention of the sons of Sparda. This will be a silent little affair – enough for me to obtain the power I need."

He smirked at Lady again, spreading his arms.

"Doesn't this seem familiar, Mary? Don't you remember that fateful night ten years ago? When you ran into this very room to face a sight that shattered your poor, innocent heart…"

Suddenly it clicked. It was the same room where… Arkham killed her mother.

Agony blazed through her senses as unimaginable pain and anger flooded her system. She cast her only remaining relative a murderous stare, tears spilling from her eyes as she attempted to block out the memory…

"_Mother? Mother? Where are you?"_

Lady turned her head, gritting her teeth in pain.

_A scream pierced the night, causing shivers to run up Mary's spine as she dashed into the basement…_

Tears flowed down her silky cheek as a sob threatened to burst from her throat.

_She stopped at the bottom of the stairs as pure shock wracked her frame. Her mother leaned forward, a bloody hand on her abdomen, where a blade was embedded, its reddened hilt in the hands of her very own father…_

Filius' sadistic laugh echoed bluntly in her ears.

"_MOTHER!" she screamed, but was too late as Arkham pulled the blade out. Kalina Ann slumped down on the floor, her pleading, lifeless eyes fixated on Mary…_

"Do you remember now? It must be painful for you to recount such an experience, hmmm…?"

_Such an experience… such an experience… as Arkham turned to face her slowly, baring his teeth in a grin, his haunting voice filling her senses..._

"_Don't worry, Mary. Go back to sleep. This is all just a bad dream…"_

_Demonic light burst forth, creeping up the side of his neck, and she heard the last of her agonized scream as blackness engulfed the room._

…

…

…

"Are you finished yet, Mary? How does it feel?"

"…"

"Ah, I see some life has come back to you."

Lady slowly turned her head back, the fire in her eyes threatening to burn a hole right through the man in front of her. He, however, ignored her and put a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"You know, since the blood of the mortal priestess has been sacrificed in a great amount in this room, I'm pretty sure my younger brother had his share of the power. However…" he said, glancing at her, "Some of the blood seemed to have dried up after a decade… so it would seem that I'll be needing a full tank once again."

"You… bloody… _bastard…_"

"Watch your words Mary. I can't kill you yet, no matter how tempting it may seem, because I have to wait for the other key."

As Lady gazed up into his face, he chuckled.

"You haven't guessed yet, have you? Since this room is already imbued with the blood of your mother, your blood will simply grant me more power than Arkham ever had. But to put his two separate rituals in one, I'll be needing… the blood of Sparda."

Lady's breath hitched in her throat. She was merely being kept alive as bait. _He wanted Dante, too._

"That's why we let your lady friend go. I'd assume she went called your partner for help. But, if the situation presents that… she didn't make it back, I have a trusty friend who can take care of the job. With a gun that size, I doubt the son of Sparda can survive a shot to the head."

Lady could barely believe what she was hearing. Dante could be on his way right now, but for once in her life she prayed that he would stay put in his office and simply let her die. Although she knew that there was zero chance of that once Kyrie had told them the story.

Dante might get knocked out cold for half a day if someone shot him in the head with a Barrett sniper rifle.

But she had to admit that Filius was right... as she realized with a cold heart that maybe even Dante would meet his end in the hands of an assassin who had managed to get her hands on Spiral...

***

**[A/N: I'm taking a break from writing over the weekend, since I'll be sleeping over at my cousin's house. *takes a Barrett to shoot him in his sleep***

**Yeah…]**


	6. Key

**[A/N: We survived the sleepover. Okay fine, I wrote this over the weekend before the idea left my head, but that certainly didn't stop me forgetting to bring my USB. Plus, internet was down in their area.]**

**Chapter Six: Key**

"_Control, this is SPO4 Al Reigner. We have a situation."_

Police scurried here and there around the crime scene. Lights flashed from the sirens as the NYPD closed off the area around the body. Special police officer Al Reigner approached the body cautiously, flashlight in hand. He directed its beam on the dead man, illuminating the bloody mess. The officers around him recoiled and shuddered.

"What have we got, Al?"

"One body and two cars, Sammie. A Ferrari and a Toyota Corolla. Seems like the Corolla's busted, but the Ferrari's good, aside from the bullets and broken windows. As for the body, we're still searching for identification."

Sam nodded and shone his flashlight on the body as well, traveling up. He, too, winced as he saw the jawbone hanging from the neck.

"Holy… damn, his head's blown off... Ach, what gun was used, Jethro?"

An officer bent down and examined the small hole by the victim's head. After shifting aside the little bloody debris, he found nothing but ash.

"No bullet. It must have disintegrated."

"Disintegrated?"

"Probably."

"What kind bullets disintegrate after they've been fired?"

"None that we know, sir."

Sam shook his head and looked back to the body. "We have a homicidal maniac on the loose, boys. One that doesn't seem to mind how bloody a mess he leaves behind."

The officers shuddered again at the thought. Sam averted his eyes from the body and walked over to the side instead, directing his flashlight inside the Ferrari and illuminating the interior. He poked his head inside for a moment.

"This guy must've put up a hell of a fight, since he managed to tear the Ferrari up pretty nasty."

"D'you reckon it's the killer's car?"

"Who else? That guy drove the Toyota, so when he crashed, he crawled out, the Ferrari parks up right beside him, and its driver put a gun to his head and blew it off."

"It looks pretty bleak from here, Sammie."

"Yeah, got that Al. Take note of the plate number."

Al nodded and went around to the back, peering over at the license plate. Sam pulled his head out just as two more members of the force arrived.

"Evening, June."

"Evening. What have we…" June started, but winced at the sight.

"Christ…"

"We know."

He shook his head and put down his suitcase, fitting his gloves on. As they carried on the inspection of the body, the officers murmured in low voices.

"Sam."

"What?"

"Do you realize that the man who killed this guy might have used a sniper rifle?"

"_What?"_

"He must have modified the bullets for smaller impact, judging from the size of this," he said, noting the small hole, "But how he managed to blow the guy's entire head off is beyond me. Also, watch the angle –" he continued, placing a rod in the hole. It fit snugly, and following its angle, he drew two fingers and extended an imaginary line from it. All eyes followed his fingers until it pointed to the top of the building behind them.

"Couldn't it still be the same angle if the Ferrari's driver shot him the same?"

"The angle is probably at about 70 degrees. Although it's still possible, the steep angle and impact of the bullet suggests a very powerful weapon, like a rifle. It would most likely be a sniper, but it still is possible if it were done at point-blank range."

"So it could be the other driver or a sniper… Then where…"

"Sir, I've found an ID."

The craning heads looked back down to June's partner, who was holding a wallet. Wiping the bloodstains off the sides, he squinted at the name.

"It's the guy you've been looking for."

"What?"

"The drug dealer. Chris Garrett."

---

---

"Damn, your car looks messed up…"

"They've found Chris."

"So where does this lead to?"

"Kyrie said the men dragged her away after the assassin shot him."

"…"

"…"

"So?"

"We need to follow her scent. Can you pick anything up?"

"My senses are as dull as hell babe, but I can catch a whiff of her from your car."

"We can't go any closer."

"Why?"

"That assassin could still be in the building."

"…"

"Turn around."

"What?"

"Turn around; I think I've found something."

Dante obliged and turned the bike around. He felt Trish go down and kneel beside him. Her sharp eyes picked up the faintest traces of motorbike and van tire tracks. She stood up and got behind him again.

"What is it?"

"Tracks. Go straight, we'll follow them."

---

---

The red bike sped along the road. Dante followed Trish's instructions, turning whenever they encounter skid marks on crossroads.

Two pairs of eyes followed the duo from their high vantage point. The man laughed quietly and sat down on the floor, yawning and stretching. Extending his hand, he took one of the cups he had brought with him and stirred the contents within.

"Tea?"

His companion shook her head, but sat on the ground next to him. She pulled the cloth covering her face off, but they could barely see each other's face anyway, with only the moon in the sky providing light. She crossed her legs and waited for him to speak. The man drank his tea heartily and set down his cup.

"Aren't you going to fulfill what you promised to Filius?"

"No," came the answer, her voice hoarse. This time the man shook his head.

"He will kill you once he discovers that you lied."

"It doesn't matter," she replied, taking her black weapon from the table and cradling it in her lap. She adjusted the bolts and knobs on it for a while. "It was my mistake for coming into the light."

"Entirely. I wonder, though… how did you manage to take the devil hunter's weapon?"

"That is none of your business."

The man shrugged, mixing himself another cup of tea. "You should realize though that you cannot fight his power any longer. Your timely possession of that weapon already proves that you are crumbling under his influence. Sooner or later, he _will_ force you to take down both the sons of Sparda, even if it shall cost you your life as well. Although, it does surprise me that you are not shaken by your fate."

She stood up, and clicked on the last knob, the sound echoing though the dark room. "I don't care. My destiny does not concern anyone. And I am determined not to involve Dante or Vergil in this."

The man looked surprised when she spoke their names, but he shrugged it off. "Whatever. Just know that by the light of the next life you take, you shall sink deeper under his control. And by the time you have fulfilled the next task without knowing it, it will already be too late."

She looked at him with a steely gaze, and the next second, Spiral was pressed against his neck.

"Then I guess I'll have to take my chances."

---

---

Dante skidded to an almost complete stop when a gunshot pierced the silent night. His eyes caught Trish's for a second.

"Move!" she hissed, and he revved the engine to full speed. The pavement where they had been a split second ago exploded, forming a crater three feet across. He pushed the bike onto the sidewalk, wheels screeching as he pulled it left and right, evading cement, blocks, and pieces of metal as they continued to explode along the way.

As they headed for a crossroad, the road ahead of them cracked, sinking a few inches and spewed pieces of cement. Dante yanked the bike for a sharp left, but as he did pieces of asphalt blew up right beside them, skidding the bike's hind wheel and pulling it into a 270-degree turn. Without hesitation he sped into the road ahead.

For a moment the attacks ceased, and Trish jerked her head up to see a figure running through the rooftops. Gripping the bike with her legs, Luce and Ombra quickly went to work.

The assassin, however, managed to use the surrounding for cover from Trish's bullets. In a second the figure had also pulled out dual handguns and returned fire.

Both riders ducked and swerved as they were likewise pelted with bullets. Dante turned to his left again, trying to lose the trail. However, as Trish looked back, the figure had disappeared. Dante noticed only a few moments later though. "Is'se gone?"

Trish looked left and right, but the figure had seemingly left them. Dante pulled on the brakes to slow them down a bit, though they were high on alert.

"We've lost the trail…" he said, and started scanning the road for any of the marks they had found earlier. "We have to double back."

"No, we can't, it's too dangerous. We have to find another route."

Dante sighed and sped into an alleyway to double back, the high walls between buildings providing cover from their attacker. Fortunately they only took a few turns from the brief run-in, and in two minutes they were back on track. He stopped for a moment at the corner as Trish got off the bike to check the marks.

"It's the one, but the tracks from here split up."

"Let's follow the van then. Evil masterminds don't usually ride on the bikes."

Trish agreed and stood up, but before she was able to get back on, the rumbling of multiple engines reached their sensitive ears. A moment later, five dirt bikes with two riders each sped from different points, encircling them. Dante groaned.

"Listen dudes, we're in quite a hurry to get to my friend's girl friend's party, so if you want her number I'll give it you some other time—"

Suddenly, the bikes stopped, and both rider and driver pointed semi – automatic guns at them. Dante winced momentarily at the twenty Skorpions around them. The leader of the riders approached them slowly.

"Son of Sparda."

"Yeah, I knew it… I've been getting a little too famous for my liking these days."

The leader ignored his comment. "Lay down your weapons and come quietly. Our master would like an audience. If you try to attack us, you will die where you stand."

"Huh. Wouldn't he be mad that you guys killed me before we met?"

"We are not playing games with you, son of Sparda—"

"Meh, quit calling me that, will ya? The name's Tony."

He was once again ignored. "Drop your weapons."

Dante was about to roll his eyes, but to his surprise Trish pulled out her handguns and slid them over to the man on the left, and put her hands up. She gave him a quick glance that said, _'Do what he says!'_. Dante huffed, but also drew Ebony and Ivory and slid them over. He took Rebellion from his back and approached the man. Everyone around them tensed and pointed their guns at him, but he snorted, amused.

"Woah, chill dudes. Just didn't want to slide this thing over, alright? It could get scratched, y'know. Takes me three hours to polish this thing."

He stepped back after handing them his sword, smirking as the man staggered under the weight. He put his hands up as well.

The moment he made the gesture of surrender, the bikers moved in and forced Trish's hands behind her back, and put a cloth over her mouth as well. She gave her captor a cocked eyebrow. Dante laughed while he was being bound.

"Trust me dude, that won't work. She can hold her breath for as long as she likes."

The man holding her looked momentarily flustered, and took the cloth from her face. Then, their leader gave a signal, and a van that was concealed backed out of the alleyway. They pushed both of them into the back and locked the door.

The moment both were inside, they immediately caught the scent they had tried to tail.

"Oh, I get your plan now."

"That was slow for you, Dante."

"Eh, dulled senses," he shrugged, wiggling his arms. "Man, that guy needs to learn how to tie ropes," he commented, amused as the ropes loosened. "Oops," he said, as the knot untied completely.

Quickly taking the ends together, he bound himself tightly, tying a secure knot around his wrists using the tips of his fingers. "Look, I tied myself better than he did."

"Right," replied Trish, as she leaned back, waiting out the rest of the trip.

---

---

Lady drew her breaths slowly, dread filling her body. She closed her eyes to block out the red light, the color sending creeping fear up her veins, her senses associating it with blood. In a while, blood would be shed in this very room… or on the very street outside. What if the assassin was on to Dante right now? While he was in his vulnerable state? While he was… _human?_

"Don't look so worried, dear. I'm sure your friend will be visiting us soon."

She turned her head to block out that voice. She cursed herself inwardly for being born. She was the bottomline of all this mess. Because of her blood, Temen-ni-gru's seal had been broken. Because of her, her father's side of the line had turned into evil-crazed murderers who studied the dark arts and sought ways to gain power. Because of her, her friends were in danger.

At that moment, Lady wished that Mary had never been born.

Filius paced around the room, all the while studying the writings that blazed across the floor. As he neared Lady, he stopped and looked up, baring his teeth in that signature feral smile.

"Ahh, I see that your friend has agreed to come willingly."

Lady jerked her head up to the sound of engines being killed outside. Suddenly, just as she had turned her head, a hand grasped onto the bandage on her neck and ripped it off. She howled in pain as strips of skin went with it and left the sensitive wound open. Blood began to flow freely. A second later, she felt a burning sensation as something was spread across the area.

"Let's begin the main event, shall we?"

Lady watched, gritting her teeth as she tried to stop her blood from reaching the floor. A moment later though, an interruption came in the form of a red clad devil, who was annoying the hell out of five men who were holding him and bringing his weapons.

"Dante… I'm so glad… you're…"

"Aww, thanks babe. I missed you too," he smirked, as he turned his head to look at the man beside her.

"Hey Lady, who's this guy? 'S he your uncle or something?"

"That's a good guess, son of Sparda," he said, taking a step toward him. My name is Filius—"

"From the filial generation, eh?"

"—and you are here to witness a spectacular event."

Dante grinned at him. "Awesome! Are we having fireworks or something?"

Filius rubbed his temple. He didn't expect the son of Sparda to be so… childish. He turned and grabbed Lady by the collar, yanking her from her place so she was sitting on her side. She let out a pained gasp, clutching her bleeding wound, and Dante shifted slightly.

"As you can remember, about ten years my brother Arkham managed to pull an amazing feat, as he was able to take on the majestic tower in all its full glory to gain power. I intend to do the same, by using both of your blood to fuel my ritual."

At this, he yanked Lady's arm from her shoulder and roughly pushed her down. At the moment her reddened skin made contact with the floor, the light changed to a blazing white, illuminating all of them.

"Fortunately, this affair will be rather quick, my boy. The consequences will be harsh if you don't comply."

"Well, listen closely buddy. First, I'd rather it be quick, because it's stifling in here. Next time, get an electric fan while you're doing your chanting or whatever."

Filius gave him a weird look.

"Second, however, I've had enough of seeing guys like you. I mean, c'mon, I see demons on a daily basis. Can't you let me take a break or something?"

"So I take it that you will not cooperate?"

"Hmm… maybe."

"Well, I think you should think it over, son of Sparda," he snarled, yanking a blade from his side and pressing it to Lady's neck. At this sudden motion, he jerked so violently for a moment that his captors were thrown off him. He stayed put as he was held on to again, while Filius laughed.

"This seems interesting. How close are you exactly to my niece, hmm…?"

"Well, she shoots me in the head as her way of saying 'hi'," he replied, though his voice was a bit strained.

Filius bared his teeth as he pressed the blade a little bit more. Lady gasped again as blood began to ooze out of the small cut. "Choose, son of Sparda. You can give me what I want, or you can have the pleasure of watching me slit my dear niece's throat."

Lady panted as she tilted her face up for her eyes to meet his. "Get out of here, Dante. I can take care of this asshole myself."

"Ah, no can do, babe."

"The world is better off if my bloodline died out. And I'm making sure it ends right here, with the last two surviving members of my family."

He shook his head and sighed. "Damn, this is getting way too dramatic. I mean come on, who's gonna be finding jobs for me? And… taking my pay too I suppose…"

Lady, even in the midst of pain, rolled her eyes. Dante was such an ass, even in the most desperate of situations. She waited, but he didn't show any sign of complying, nor was he trying to get out of his ropes. He simply stood there, his blue eyes locked to the bi-colored ones of her uncle.

"So… let's say I agree to this whole thing—"

"Dante—!"

"Just a moment, babe. I wanna know where this leads to."

A smile appeared on Filius' face. "It doesn't matter what happens after. By then, I will have become more powerful than you can imagine."

"Huh. Then that means both of us ain't walking home happy either way. No fair, man."

"But, I can definitely save you the pain of watching her die. If you comply, then you will not have to witness a slaughter."

"Well, by the sound of that, I wouldn't be able to see one 'cause you'll be slicin' us up both at the same time!"

Filius gave a brief pause and gave him a hard stare. Dante kept the grin on. "Gotcha', didn't I?"

He snarled, losing patience, and tightening his hold on Lady. "I am not tolerating this any longer. Choose quickly, son of Sparda, or lose her."

At this, Dante shrugged, and threw the four men off him. Before they were able to recover, he had made his way over to Filius and stretched his bound arms out. Lady shot him a shocked look. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Saving a damsel in distress," he replied smoothly. Filius eyed the bare skin of his forearm and brought his blade over to it. At the loss of the contact, Lady jolted off the ground and rammed herself into his legs, making him stagger backward. He recovered quickly, though, and aimed a kick at her. However, his foot was blocked by Dante.

"Show some respect to the Lady, will ya? You're stretching your part of the deal too far."

Filius gave him a murderous look. Just then, Lady yelled, "Dante! Stop the act and do something, will you?!"

"Come on babe, I'm just biding my time. Just wait for him to become a demon, then I can go slice 'n' dice!"

"Do you really think it's that simple?" asked Filius. He waved his arm, and the man holding Dante's weapons went out of the room. The devil's face fell.

"Oops."

"Yeah, you had to say it."

Filius looked down at Lady, eyebrows furrowed. "Since there is nothing you can do now, it's time to end your misery. Your blood will stregthen the spell just as the son of Sparda's shall empower it."

"Woah dude, I thought we had the 'no killing Lady right in front of me' deal?"

Filius' gaze averted to him instead. "Would you like to go first, then?" he asked.

Before Dante could open his mouth, however, he brought his blade down with precision on the woman. The tip of the blade pierced her shoulder, making Lady shut her eyes at the initial pain. It stayed there for the time being though, as she looked up to see Dante's arms below her uncle's, stopping the attack before it got any further.

"Sorry, babe. Dulled senses," he muttered, and he brought up his arms, shoving the man back against the wall, hitting his head hard. He twisted his arms in one swift motion, quickly undoing the rope. He gave a short wave to the temporarily dumbstruck men on the side.

"Join the Boy Scouts next time, okay? Ya need to work on your knots."

They quickly jumped at the insult, drawing their own blades that looked like long, thin scimitars. They slashed wildly at Dante, who dodged their attacks with quick footwork. One of them swung in a high arc, forcing him to duck. He gave a swift jab to his solar plexus, and the man stumbled, gasping for air. Two of his other companions charged immediately, one with his shoulder and the other with his blade.

Dante allowed the man to collide with him, as he rolled backward quickly on the floor beside Lady, making the man fall flat on his face. The other one's foot caught on his comrade's sleeve, toppling him over while he held his blade high above his head. Dante grasped Lady by the shoulders and held her in front of him, in the way of the stumbling biker.

For one wild moment, Lady thought that Dante was using her as a human shield from the blade. Jerking her head onto his shoulder, her entire back tensed as it waited for the sharp edge to tear the muscles into sinewy bits, but thankfully it never came. Instead, she felt the pressure lifting from her hands as her ropes were cut.

She sighed as she pulled her head back from his shoulder to face the last man for defense. Before she could turn though, Dante had left her side and elbowed the man in the face. The two who had fallen scrambled to get up, bearing down on him.

They changed fighting styles; the second one who had fallen passed his blade to the one who collided with Dante earlier, and started attacking with his fists. Using quick side steps, Dante smirked, taunting the man with his footwork and reaction time.

He gave up with his fists and started using his knees and sweep kicks. Going low and fast, he swept his foot right under the devil hunter. Dante jumped, and before the man could get up from his one-knee crouch, he did an air hike right above his head. His head smashed into the floor from the force of the concentrated magical energy. Dante, in turn, smacked his head on the ceiling, and fell on top of the one swinging the blade.

"Ow… wrong move…" he muttered, as he rubbed the top of his head through partially squinted eyes. He gave both men who were out cold from under him a thumbs up. "Good job, dudes. Thanks for breaking my fall."

Lady did not know whether she should laugh or not about the situation. She flexed her arm, feeling a weird sensation on her wound. Picking up a gun from the nearest man, she pointed it at Filius. The man was halfway from getting up from his slumped position against the wall when Dante stepped over and yanked Filius toward him by the collar.

"So –"

"Our deal is not yet complete, son of Sparda…"

"Well, I guess I've decided to reconsider," said Dante. To his surprise, Filius smiled.

"Too late. Even if you do not lend your blood to _me_, you will need it to save _her_," he spat. Dante cocked an eyebrow. "Lady? Huh, believe me, she'd take a trip to hell and back before she lets that happen."

"I doubt that she will, especially as she can feel tendrils of its effects starting to course through her body…"

At this, Dante turned and glanced at her. She too was surprised, but it was quickly changed to shock as she looked down upon her left shoulder. Veins of black were creeping from her wound, and making its way up the side of her neck. She looked at Dante, who, for the first time, looked horrified.

"A human can only take as much abuse as demonic poison can bring. Only demon blood can stop its effects. Maybe you should – " Filius suddenly brought forth another knife from his boot. And, Dante was a second too late, as its sharp edge dug deep into his left thigh. He gasped at the sudden pain, and took a step back. As he did, Filius gripped the hilt and tore it down, splitting his flesh up to the top of his knee. As the knife left his body, its outward motion sent drops of his blood onto the floor.

" – give her some."

The white light flashed to yellow, and a bit by bit the scriptures appeared permanently upon the floor. The formed a golden web of words, which edged toward the center. As they touched corners, a figure materialized, bright as the sun. Filius sneered as he stepped into the middle, into the light of the figure.

"It was fun while it lasted," he taunted, as Lady stepped over to Dante's side. He was limping and clutching his leg, as he had leaned on the wall for support, his eyes trained on Filius. The glow had started to envelop him. His faced morphed into something distorted, and his back hunched over. A short, golden blade formed in his hand, and in his other he clutched a round shield. He flashed them a gleam from his pointed teeth, spreading his huge wings and blinding them with light.

"But I should get back to business."

"Sounds to me like your business is one heck of a deal, buddy…"

"Indeed it is. Too bad you wouldn't be able to participate in it."

Dante shrugged. "Sorry, but I guess… I might be stickin' around for a while."

He had barely finished his sentence when something silver shot out of the door, but Filius raised his shield just in time. It deflected to the side and Dante caught it, holding Rebellion to its full length.

"Cause you promised me something spectacular, right?"

"Indeed," replied Filius, and he lunged at Dante. The devil hunter parried the golden sword to the side, and bashed Rebellion's hilt upon the shield. The impact stunned Filius, but he was able to recover just as bullets from the side and beyond the door pelted him. Raising his shield, the stream ricocheted off it, pelting Dante and Lady with it. A second later, their blonde companion rushed in through the door.

"Hey, Trish! What took you so long?"

"There were about sixty men outside, Dante."

"And you guys were having a tea party?"

Trish shook her head and pulled out a curved blade, which she had once used under the image of Gloria. As if on cue, all three attacked the morphing man.

Filius growled as he was pushed further from the center, effectively slowing down the process. But, he finally felt the strain as Dante attacked his unguarded side, impaling him with Rebellion. Not giving him a chance to recover, Trish channeled yellow bolts of energy into the weapon, stunning him. A second later, Lady raised the gun, and with perfect precision, fired a single shot into the handle. The charged sword shot forward wildly, pinning Filius to the wall.

The trio lowered their remaining weapons. Dante relaxed and threw an arm around both of them, grinning contentedly. "Well done, babes. A job very well done."

Predictably, Lady shrugged his arm off. He was about to give a pout when he noticed something was wrong.

Her knees buckled and she fell. Dante caught be before she reached the floor, and to his horror, the black substance had already reached the area under her ear. She was fully conscious, but her breathing was labored.

"Lady? What happened—"

"It's the poison," growled Dante. As he shifted his arm, he noticed that his hand was coated with his own blood after clutching his leg. Praying that Filius wasn't lying, he lifted it and gently spread it over her wound.

Suddenly, and without warning, Filius chuckled. "It's too late, son of Sparda. She's as good as dead."

At this, he dug his claws against the wall, and with tremendous force, wrenched himself free. Rebellion fell and clattered across the floorboards with dull _thunks._ A split second later, the morphed man pounced upon them.

Everything seemed to slow as Dante laid quickly Lady on the floor and pushed Trish backward. His eyes met Filius one more time as held his arms in front of him, stopping the thrust of the golden blade. A sneer met his eyes as Filius jammed out his shield, pushing him and Trish back. His senses went into overdrive as the blade trailed upward, a fiery tinge coating its arc.

Its flat side collided with his arm, flames engulfing him partially in the midst of a small explosion. Dante quickly stepped back from his position, and rolled toward Rebellion. Grasping its handle, he wheeled around, on his guard.

As the dust cleared though, his tense muscles released as he watch the demon fall. The moment it reached the ground, the light encasing his body released, and took on another form. It gave them a sweeping look for a moment, before disappearing.

Filius, in his human form, lay immobile in the center of the glowing mass, a sheen of red beginning to tinge the floorboards underneath him.

On the side of the room facing the street was a hole. Trish ran and peered into it, just in time to see a silhouette against the moon fleeing.

She turned to Dante, who was helping Lady get up. Thankfully, due to her fighting spirit, she was conscious, but was quite groggy, and leaning onto him for support. His eyes looked up to her.

"It was the assassin."

"…"

"We have to get out of here."

---

---

Outside, they took two bikes from the riders, after a minor squabble between Lady and Dante. As usual, she had insisted that she also take a bike, but the case was closed as she nearly toppled it over, which resorted to Dante picking her up and putting her in front of him on his bike. She tried to wriggle free, but Dante refused to let go, much to Trish's amusement.

After the squabble died down, she gave him a thumbs up, and he took the lead, Trish following close.

The riders sped back to Devil May Cry under the moonlight, and under the watchful eyes of a figure hidden under the shadows.


	7. Awakening

**[A/N: Sorry for the delay... I was sick for a week, because the dentist we had gone to was coughing. I had to stay in bed so it wouldn't get worse, and refrained from my summer classes. I haven't recovered yet, and I'm still having coughing fits now. Anyway, Here's chapter seven. It's shorter than the others, sorry, but I couldn't think straight.]**

**Chapter Seven: Awakening**

Nero's eyes stayed fixed on the wall clock opposite him. His demon arm was draped around Kyrie, whose sobs had already subsided, but was still deep in worry. The glow from his hand illuminated her tired face, and the trails of tears that had flowed down her cheeks.

Earlier, she had told him the whole story, and he had reassured her that Lady would be alright. After all, Dante and Trish had both gone to bring her back, and he had faith in both of them. Kyrie, however, had shook her head and lay it on his chest, still trembling from the encounter.

Both of them had elapsed into deep silence, with only the sound of Vergil's deep breathing punctuating the still air. Nero kept her close, maintaining a protective aura over Kyrie, because he feared that the events might have broken her… but, despite her appearance, he knew that determination lay behind her fragile frame.

The minutes ticked by, ever closer toward a new morning. And, Nero could not believe that so much had happened in a span of two days, and they had only rescued the elder twin yesterday. There had certainly been an increase of events, activity, and danger in the last forty-eight hours. Yet, it had resulted to several near deaths for their group, including him.

With that thought, his eyes left the ticking hands and settled on the blue-clad man.

About now, Vergil looked as if he was merely sleeping. The multitude of cuts and bruises he had sustained showed though his partially ripped clothing, along the neck, arms, and lining the lower abdomen. Despite these, his face remained peaceful, partially obscured by longer hair. It was even longer than Dante's now, but the way it was framed around his face gave no doubt of the uncanny likeness between the twins. Although he did not have the bulk of muscles Dante now had, his lean figure emanated strength and power.

Nero frowned in thought. Ever since he entered that portal in the Hell Gate, the glow of his Devil Bringer had died down to its normal intensity. And even when he had been in the midst of Vergil for the whole part of two days, it had not given any more frenzied reaction to the man, like the itching he had experienced while he and Dante were searching for the path. Had something happened to Yamato?

He raised his arm and clenched his fist. The glow remained its normal blue.

_Maybe it's because of the gas, _he thought.

Just then, Kyrie lifted her head and looked at him at the loss of contact. She looked at his arm, and back at him again. "What is it, Nero?"

"I'm just wondering… why my arm isn't reacting to Vergil anymore. When we were inside the Hell Gate it was itching like mad."

She turned beside him and took his demonic arm into her hands. Nero softened at her expression, his thoughts of Yamato slipping away, and took her into a gentle embrace, which she returned.

They talked in low voices for some time, but five minutes later, their silent conversation was interrupted by the characteristic hum of motorcycle engines. Kyrie practically jumped at the noise, but she was barely at the door when they heard raised voices, particularly Dante's and Trish's.

"Look, would you stay put for a minute and talk to us—"

"Lady, you should listen to him—"

"What on earth has suddenly gotten into you? 'Cuz one minute were talking and the next—"

Kyrie was about to lay her hand on the doorknob when the double doors flew open, and there stood an enraged-looking Lady. Both their expressions changed to relief when they saw each other, and Kyrie immediately took her in a tight hug. She returned the gesture, but said in an odd voice, "I'm glad you made it back safely."

Before she could respond, Lady had stepped away from her and started toward the stairs. Dante and Trish entered the building together. He threw Kyrie and apologizing look. "Sorry 'bout that, but I swear it wasn't me, babe. Must be that time of the month."

He took a few long strides and the devil hunter caught the lady at the foot of the stairs.

"Lady—"

"STAY HERE!"

He was so taken aback by her outburst that he actually hesitated at the bottom stair. However, Dante recovered quickly and caught up with her on the second floor, where she was headed toward one of the rooms.

He increased his pace, muttering about women and their freakishly unnerving mood swings. "Lady, why're you acting so strange all of a sud—"

He had barely finished his question when Lady barged in through one of the doors. And, in the split second later, her pistol was pointed to a forehead, just as a huge, glowing revolver was pointed to hers.

---

---

Lady's eyes sparkled pure rage as she stood on gun point with Aki, both barrels trained between each other's eyes. The girl, however, softened her expression and lowered the revolver almost immediately.

"Wow, you scared the heck out of me Lady. You should knock twice next time like I told you—"

"It was you… wasn't it?"

Aki's expression changed to confusion. "I was what?"

Lady grit her teeth and jabbed her pistol toward her collarbone instead, making the girl step backward, confusion lining her face even more. Lady seethed, rage rising. "Don't play tricks with me. I knew it, I just did. You can't be trusted."

"Lady, what are ya going on about—"

"It was _her_, Dante! _She_ shot Chris, _she_ took Spiral, _she's_ the assassin!"

It was silent for a while, before Dante scoffed. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you toppled the bike over?"

She glared at him. He shrank back a bit from the look in her eye. "Look babe, the girl's been in here the whole time, fixing Nero's sword and gun." His eyes trailed to her hand, where she held Blue Rose, and his jaw dropped.

The surface of the revolver had returned to its usual flawlessness, and its patterns had been repainted precisely to the finest details. However, that wasn't the only change in the gun. It was glowing slightly with a light blue tinge, and the top, he noticed, had five glassy slots in them, from which the glow came from. The barrels had become slightly narrower, if his eyes didn't deceive him. Both sides of the handle had been fitted with a strap which extended around her wrist, continually connected with a string of bullet trios for immediate swap-reload action. It was like looking at your typical revolver crossed with a machine gun.

However, Lady's sharp voice brought him out of his daze. "Nero and Vergil were the only other ones here when Chris was shot. The assassin had Spiral. _Your_ devil arm, Dante. _Who else _would have taken it?"

His eyebrow rose at his statement. "Spiral, my sweet baby rifle? It's downstairs."

Lady froze for a moment, and looked back at Aki. "I've never been downstairs since I came up, so I haven't fitted Spiral with anything new yet."

"That reminds me—" said Dante, who took something from his pocket and threw it at her. Aki caught it, and she immediately brightened. In her hand was a Timex Expedition digital wristwatch, in perfect working order. "Sweet!"

"Got it from your uncle," he said, winking at Lady. "Hope ya don't mind."

Lady did not respond though, as she turned and head down the stairs. The fourteen year old gave Dante a shrug, dropping the revolver on the tabletop, and both of them went out of the room to follow her down. When they reached the bottom, Lady was standing in utter shock, eyes fixed on the Dante's weapon set on the wall. Sure enough, the enormous black rifle was among his firearms, next to Artemis and his other shotguns.

It wasn't long before Kyrie's voice came floating over. "Lady, are you alright?"

She shook her head quietly and rubbed her temple. She muttered something incoherent, though Dante was able to distinguish: "I could swear it was the rifle…"

She turned and hugged both Kyrie and Aki. After she pulled back, she turned to the younger girl first. "Sorry about that… I thought…"

"Nah, it's okay, Lady. I know what you mean. Well, not the assassin part, anyway."

Lady nodded her thanks and focused on Kyrie. "Were you hurt? I'm so sorry about dragging you into that mess… you could've died…"

Lady was once again silenced as her friend gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. On the side, Dante wiped mock tears from his eyes and immediately boomed, "So, we're finally back together! Who wants some pizza?"

No one answered that question, as the clock ticked twelve to twelve.

---

---

Everyone took a seat around the sofas, as the story was explained in full, starting from Lady and Kyrie's departure. When the reached the part about Credo though, everyone except Lady and Aki looked at Kyrie. Nero was the first to speak. "Credo? But I… he's…"

"I know, Nero. I just couldn't help feeling… hopeful, that my brother would somehow be alive."

"You have a brother?" questioned Aki. Kyrie nodded quietly and lay back against Nero, her expression suddenly going dead. Dante frowned.

"Since he was changed into a demon, then it's likely," he started, picking up Kyrie's attention. "But," he continued, "if he's _Nelo_ Credo now, that would mean that he's not exactly on our team. Sorry to break it to ya babe, but since you are humans… it means your brother's soul would be easy to corrupt by demons. The same thing happened to Verge," he sighed, looking over his should at his brother.

"Nelo Angelo," stated Trish, remembering their past.

"Mundus, the bad guy of the underworld, managed to get V as well. And all the while, I thought he was dead. But now, we have him back," he smiled. Kyrie sat up on her seat. "Does that mean… we can get Credo back too?"

At the question, Dante's face fell. "Um… I can't be sure about that… Kyrie."

She nodded sadly, and leaned back once again, seemingly accepting defeat. Nero wrapped his demonic arm around her as a sign of support. At this gesture, Aki snapped her fingers and bolted back up the stairs. Before they were able to ponder the departure, their eyes suddenly fixated on the item in her hand as she came down.

"It also connects to one thing. Lately, demons are becoming stronger. I saw some yesterday, a couple of reptilian-looking birds, but they disappeared almost immediately when I tried to get a closer look. I've seen their kind before, but the disappearing act was definitely something new. My best guesses are that they've started mutating or evolving, or someone's rigging them as well."

At the end of her sentence, she swept her hand on both sides of the revolver, reloading all six bullets into it in two swift movements, and held out Blue Rose to Nero. He took it in utter awe in his left hand, looking at it from every angle.

"It looks like I'll be rigging as much as I can to get us even with them now," she said, and lay a finger on top of the barrel. "I've studied the way you've modified the power hold on the gun. The five slots here," she pointed the glassy one at the top, "Are for faster power absorption, optimized to the fifth level for your charge shot." Nero's jaw dropped slightly.

"Try taking it in your right hand." The young devil did as he was told, and was surprised as the gun glowed brighter at the contact with his right hand. Concentrating energy into the devil bringer, it took just about five seconds to fill all slots. As the fifth slot filled up, Aki walked behind him and made an opening in one of the windows.

"Kyrie, you may want to move back a bit."

Once the girl had moved away, Nero pulled the trigger. His immediate reaction was to hold the gun tightly because the recoil stunned him from his awkward position. As he peered out the window, the wall outside started crumbling, looking as if it had been hit by some C4. A second later, two consecutive fiery blasts pulverized it completely.

Dante's jaw dropped again, and he pointed an accusing finger at her. "And I thought it would just be some scopes or something—"

"If you want me to outfit your guns next, you can just tell me."

"Yes please," he replied with a childish grin, throwing Ivory at her. She smirked as she caught it and threw it back at him. "I'll take the black one first."

"Huh? Why?"

"I like black."

He snickered at her unexpected answer and gave her Ebony instead. Aki then turned and headed up the stairs, twirling the already-customized handgun around her right finger.

"Hey, thanks a lot, Aki," called Nero, just as she disappeared.

"_Walay sapayan_," came the reply, in her native tongue.

The five who were sitting downstairs immediately put their heads back together.

"Still think she's evil, Lady? I mean, now that she's improving our stuff and all…" asked Dante, giving her a smooth look. She rubbed her temples and put her face in her hands, sighing into them. "I'm just not sure anymore… I could swear…"

"Well, enough of that babe, let's put the past behind us," he offered, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder before snatching Nero's revolver on his right. He let out a surprised yelp and tried to grab it back, but Dante held it back to him after he had given it a look.

"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to do that—"

"No, but I can, if I want to, and I just did. Anyway, that's not the point. I was thinking how she'd managed to fix that thing so quickly."

"I thought we had agreed that she was pretty queer. Queerer than most."

"That isn't possible unless she has a tool, magical of some sort, to help her in her job. Plus, she does have the knowledge to work things out better than others can. You customized it yourself, right, Nero?"

"Yeah," he said, holstering the revolver into his coat.

"If you want to know how I do things, I can show you, if you like."

Their heads snapped in the direction of the stairs, where Aki was sitting at the top and was fiddling with the handle of a magnificent-looking Red Queen, whose tip was touching the fourth stair down. She smiled at their expressions, and turned the sword so that the flat side was facing them.

It was pretty much the same, except that she had added intricate golden patterns on the blade. To give them a better look, she revved the sword up just one level.

Nero immediately saw that more exhausts were added, as the length of the blade glowed its signature fiery color. Just like his revolver, it had the glassy slots on one side, as seen from the reddish glow emitted from just one of the seven power holders. Aki moved her hand up to the tip of the handle, and they saw two knobs there.

"Check this out," she said, and put her hand over both and twisted.

The motor of the fuel injection system roared again, and the red moved to the third slot immediately. However, the first slot was now replaced by a light blue glow. She suddenly twisted the sword and slid it across the length of the stair. As its blade came in contact with the wall on her right, they shielded their eyes from the flash it emitted.

As they lowered their hands, they looked back to find the wall black and scorched, at the same time, covered in _ice_.

"Woah."

"Yeah, weird huh?"

"How did you—"

"Well, I kinda…" she scratched the top of her head, suddenly looking very guilty. "There was this dog that came to me…"

"Cerby!?! I knew I should've kept him on a leash…"

She grinned guiltily and held out the icy triple-nunchucks. "He offered me help, so I figured I could put ice and fire together. I promised to rig him after, as well."

Trish and Lady looked disbelieving. "How did a monstrous three headed dog manage to speak to you?"

"The nunchucks. They spoke to me when I came to check on Nero and Kyrie while they were asleep."

"How did you know it was a dog?"

"It sounded like one. I had a dog back home, my best friend. Well, before demons raided us, anyway."

Falling silent at her words, she shook her head and held out her arms. "It's alright, guys. That was a long time ago. Now I'm here to—"

_Crash!_

Aki's head snapped up as the sound of splintering glass came from the top. Not looking back, she sprinted upstairs, away from their view. Trish was about to follow her up when all of them were sprayed with shards of glass as well, as all of the ground floor windows of Devil May Cry burst and black-cloaked Mephistos zoomed in. Kyrie screamed as they dove for her, but Nero had covered her as the rest scattered.

Dante pulled out Ivory and Coyote-A, going about trying to rid them of their cloaks. Streams of bullets came from Lady as well as she backed away, trying to reach her launcher. Trish stood in place, firing her handguns as she as well tried to cover for Vergil.

They were locked at point. As soon as Dante was able to remove the cloak of one it would quickly gain another before its true form hit the ground. The demons had divided each of them, effectively backing Lady further away from her launcher and toward the stairs. Kyrie was caught against the window behind Nero, who was standing with one leg and firing repeatedly, unable to charge the revolver because of their number.

"Don't let them use their attack!" yelled Dante as he rolled toward his weapons. As if called for, his gauntlets of light strapped themselves immediately to his forearms and legs. He swiped upward, causing Beowulf to flash brightly, and subduing the creatures of darkness for a moment.

Lady took the chance and ran toward her launcher, docking it to the ground. "Trish!" she yelled, and the blonde nodded and sent out brief charged bolts of yellow to attract their attention. "Duck!" she yelled, surprised, as Nero had yelled the same along with her, and caught a brief second's glance of his glowing revolver before everything became a flash of white.

Everyone had hit the ground as Mephistos burst around them, Lady's seeker missiles wiping out the first half and Nero's charge shot wiping out the other half. Two were remaining, and as Dante was about to lunge for them with his gauntlets they burst into fire, from the aftershot explosion of Blue Rose.

"Aww, don't tell me Lady and the kid got all the kills!" he pouted. Just before anyone could answer, another explosion boomed from upstairs.

"Aki!" yelled Lady, and she was halfway up the stairs when a shrieking creature fell an inch from her nose, charred black. She breathed heavily at the near impalement of the Gladius, her breath melting the tiniest of ice crystals in front of her face.

"I'm okay, but don't come up yet, they were bringing the gas," called a muffled voice from upstairs.

"What? What about you?"

"I have protection. Nobody come up, I have to clear this before it reaches downward. Dante, Nero, stay clear of the stairs. You don't want the gas in your systems added."

"How did you know?!" called Dante.

"I listen to your conversations, man!" she replied from upstairs.

"Well if—" he started, but was once again interrupted by the all-so-familiar whoosh coming through the window. He groaned without looking. "What is it with these guys?! I mean, after you wipe out Hells you get the freakin' Vanguard…" he complained, before turning to face the Faust.

Its left hand pushed its 'hat' up, as if to get a closer look at the group. A revolver, a UZI, and three handguns were already pointed at it, and Dante brought up the fourth handgun and a shotgun. The Faust did not attack, though, and it pointed one of its long fingers at the sofa.

"You want my bro? Well I need an ID for that one sir. I need to know if we're related, see, though I highly doubt it."

It hissed, bringing an unnatural shudder over the group. It moved closer to Trish, and pointed to Vergil once again. She, however, stepped in between the demon and the half-demon. "No," she growled firmly.

The Faust hissed again, and without warning it used one hand to swipe at the three behind its back. Lady was caught off-guard but managed to stagger away unscathed. They took to firing their guns but before Nero could charge the revolver it was swiped out of his hand as well. He hit the ground, rolling awkwardly as its bladed fingers scratched the floor beside him.

Dante took the chance and ran behind it. The Faust turned quickly but was faced with a wide barrel as Dante emptied Coyote-A into its face. It shrieked and flew sideways. Nero grabbed Blue Rose once again and fired, but missed it by an inch, his shot going wide through the window. The Faust recovered, and it began to single out Nero, but was kept at bay from his dual shots.

Dante quickly ran behind Nero, vaulting himself into the air, gauntlets glowing brightly. Bright blue eyes flashed at the hollow ones of the demon as he hit the core of the Faust with full force, and everything flashed white once again.

Nero was about to sit up and cover Kyrie again, but was stopped in his tracks.

The Faust was down on the ground, and one side of its frame looked chipped. However, to their horror, it rose ominously from the floor, revealing all five of its finger spikes embedded in Dante's body, and plunging it deeper into the devil hunter by the second. Blood spluttered out of his mouth as the wounds took their toll.

He could barely hear Lady's voice scream his name, as blood rushed out of his wounds. With a pained guttural cry as the Faust wrenched out its blades, he coughed out the blood that was starting to fill his lungs.

Nero roared and fired wildly at the demon, only to feel the same flash of red and pain as the blades' swipe caught him in the face. He fell back, a wet feeling trickling down his cheek. Kyrie ran to his side immediately, trying to pull him out of the demon's range, but he held her back, trying to get up.

The Faust, feeling that the damage was done, finally approached the elder Spardan twin again. Its fingers stretched out toward Vergil when Trish intercepted it, using electric charges to attack. Lady fired her UZI as well, defending their unconscious companion.

The demon swiped both women away angrily, injuring both in the process. Lady was flung across the room and smashed into the leg of the billiard table, clutching her bleeding side. Trish healed instantly, but now it was her against the black creature. Before she could fully recover, she was pinned down at the foot of the sofa.

Her heightened senses sensed her end coming. All around her, her companions lay dying; Kyrie was crying over Nero, who barely had the strength to sit up, blood streaming from his face. At the back, Lady was gasping for air as red stained her shirt, seeping through her fingers. On her right, light was slowly leaving Dante's eyes as he gripped his chest, struggling to breathe.

Her eyes lifted back slowly into the hollow sockets of the demon. It hissed at her, its prolonged rattling breath caressing her face. Its left hand drew its blades out slowly.

She grit her teeth and blasted Luce and Ombra at it, together with bolts of energy, making her last stand. It shrieked at the sudden assault once again, and swept the handguns away from her gripping fingers, locking her wrists in invisible binds. She struggled feebly against it, but nothing was to prevent the descending swipe of the blades.

A flash of blue, and darkness blinded her for a second.

---

---

Silence deafened the surroundings.

As Trish opened her eyes, she thought her soul was in an endless oblivion. She could not make anything out for a while, but as she recovered, her eyes readjusted. She was alive, and it was dark in the office of Devil May Cry.

As she looked up from her position, she saw the Faust had frozen. It had the expression of something akin to horror on its twisted face, but in the next second, its head rolled smoothly off its body, a clean slice separating it.

A body towered to her left, an arm stretched out over her head. In the hand of the outstretched arm was a gleaming katana.

Barely breathing, she stood up beside the figure. He was leaning forward slightly from the slash he had made, platinum hair framing his face. His eyes were closed as he lowered his weapon and turned to face her. Without warning, he slumped forward, but she caught him before he fell. Lowering his head back to the armrest, he breathed deeply.

Slowly, his eyes opened. He looked at her softly, unsure of his environment. Holding out a gloved hand, he touched her cheek. Trish barely caught the single word that he muttered.

"_Mother?"_

She shook her head slowly and lowered his hand from her face. "Vergil…"

Suddenly, at the sound of her voice, he wrenched free and placed Yamato against her collarbone. His eyes were trained on her, but were not focused on her. "Who are you?" he growled.

She said nothing but approached him instead, putting a hand on his arm to lower his katana. Surprisingly, he did not fight her touch and lowered his sword, but was alert even as his body was dangerously swayed.

"We have met before, Vergil. Your mind was imprisoned in a cage then…" she said softly. Vergil's breathing slowed, and he slumped back down on the sofa.

"You…" he whispered, fighting to stay conscious. "I do not remember much…"

"Rest now, you don't have to remember."

He faced her, but his eyes were still unfocused. As he drifted closer to rest, a memory tingled at the back of his mind.

"_Trish…"_

She was surprised that he recognized her. All around them, the others were getting up. Lady was limping, and Nero was already standing, all wounds gone. Dante was up and feeling his chest. The gas was gone from their systems. They were saved by a tick of the clock.

However, Trish did not notice what was happening. All she focused on were his eyes, as they slowly looked back into hers, the same shade of icy blue mirroring both, sensing something was wrong. He did not focus on her still.

She recoiled in shock, realization hitting her before Vergil closed his eyes.

He was blind.

_____________

**[A/N: **

_'Walay sapayan' **- **'no problem' **]**_


	8. Recollections

**[A/N: I **_**seriously**_** don't know how to describe this chapter. Is it 'filler'? Yeah, I guess this is a 'filler' chapter. (Not sure what that is… lol… writing is definitely not for me…)**

**Anyway, this came to mind since my cousin wanted part to be Vergil's recollections to partly explain a lot. Sorta like the thing we'll find in the next DMC game.**

**And by the way, I am really sorry if I described some events wrong. I have never played DMC1 before, nor have I even ever laid an eye on its gameplay… T_T]**

**Chapter Eight: Recollections**

_He was floating. Mist as white as snow during winter surrounded him, covering everything. Becoming cautious, he reached to grip the hilt of his sword, but the katana wasn't there. Looking around for Yamato, nothing came to his fingers, or even to the tendrils of contact as his mind spread out._

_Turning, the mist behind him began to clear. Blood pooled under his feet as a flash of white blinded his eyes._

_---_

_---_

Three blazing-red eyes watched him, illuminating the sky with its power. Despite his wounds, he struggled to get up.

"It will be fun to fight with the Prince of Darkness… if my father was able to do it…"

A metallic sound hit the air as Yamato was unsheathed.

"I should be able to do it too…"

His own battle cry rang loudly in his ears as he attacked, but was subdued by the creatures of darkness as weariness took its toll…

---

---

"What is it that you truly desire, Vergil?"

Gritting his teeth, he held his ground against the blackness. The voice echoed all around him, signaling a presence, or not at all. He stared straight into nothingness as he coldly gave his answer:

"I want to fight you, Mundus."

Rasping cries of laughter echoed all around, as great beasts came and towered over him. A gigantic spider whose body was wrapped in hot flame stepped forward.

"You have not earned the right to face our master that is Mundus, human. You have to face us first…" it rasped maliciously, holding out on of its legs to taunt Vergil. In a flash, it roared, as fire poured out of the leg, which was cut clean in half by his katana. It gave an enraged cry and leapt on him, but was pulled back by the tail by a demon of fire as well.

"You dare defy Mundus, Phantom?" it growled. The spider swiped its pincers at the one who grabbed him, making the demon release him. Both of them let out low warning rasps. "And who are you to stop me, Berial? If I remember, it was I who was made general, and not you."

Berial growled again, but they were broken apart by a set of wings. "Quiet, both of you. Let us hear what our master wants done."

Phantom clacked at Griffon, but he had already flown out of reach. Before any more action was taken, the voice rang through once again.

"Have my trusted ranks have no respect? Do you not know who it is that stands before you?" His tone was stern, but mocking at the same time.

"It's just another human…" answered a green dragon in a woman's voice.

"It may seem so, but do you not recognize the light in his eyes?"

When none answered, they backed away as their master materialized in front of them. Vergil kept Yamato unsheathed as he stood and waited for Mundus to take shape. As the ruler finally spread his wings, he pointed his katana at him.

"Stay aside, my generals. You shall recognize this man soon enough," he boomed, accepting the challenge.

---

---

He growled as he was flung a way back from the force of the explosion. Seeing the blades descending, energy filled his soul and he released it, driving all of them back. Standing in his place was a demon in blue, charging toward Mundus.

Avoiding the swipe of his hands with pure speed, he caught the ruler by surprise as he materialized in front of his face and took a clean swipe. Before he could recover, he was once again trapped in Mundus' fist, his form turning back to the platinum-haired man. Struggle was futile.

Below him, he heard the jeers of the generals.

"It's no ordinary human… he has Sparda's blood! I saw it in his eyes!"

"Well observed, Phantom. The man you see before you is the heir of Sparda."

Outrage permeated the space below as the generals roared at the sound of the name. They were merely holding themselves back from attack, now, amidst the calls of 'Traitor' and calls for flesh of humans.

Mundus ignored them though, and his three eyes met the piercing glare of Vergil.

"You have fought well, son of Sparda. You would be a great service to me."

"I would never serve you, Mundus, even if it meant my life."

The towering figure merely laughed at his reply. "Your life? Of course not, Vergil. You are far too valuable to waste. With your strength I do not doubt that you can subdue all my generals in this room," he said, silencing the demons below.

"But you cannot handle it, can you?" he continued, "And that is why you sought power. You always have, ever since you had started blaming yourself for the death of your family."

Vergil seethed quietly, and unseen to the onlookers, a tear slid down his pale face. Turning, he yelled, voice echoing all around: "YOU KILLED MY MOTHER, MUNDUS!"

"Mother? No, I did not kill her. You were merely unable to watch out for your family."

Vergil roared again and his form warped back into the blue demon, but before he could break free, his mind was attacked by a powerful force. He slowly returned to his human form, his face screwed up in concentration as Mundus battered the defenses of his mind again and again.

Every attack was like a spear thrust through a wooden wall, as he suffered unimaginable pain inside his head. Veins showed through his neck and temple as he fought with equal ferocity against Mundus, gripping the hilt of Yamato hard. Giving up his defense, he lashed out with breaking force, surprising the ruler and halting the advance.

Slowly, the tables turned, as he built defenses around his attacks, wearing off the force of Mundus. The form of the ruler now showed strain. Chunks began to fall off the face, but Vergil did not hesitate, relentless in his attacks, determined to bring him down.

Just then, Mundus raised his other hand, and pried Yamato from his fingers. A part of his mind reached out for it, but the moment it had hovered out of his reach, a wave of light shot out of Mundus' third eye. The blade broke with tremendous force before his very eyes, and his defenses shattered; Mundus delved into his thoughts, causing him extreme agony…

Flashes of his past came and went, memories of Sparda, Eva and Dante blinding him. A short second later, the images slipped past his reach, as Mundus came in a form of creeping darkness that imprisoned him within the shell of a more sinister force, his mind locked away behind the face of a dark knight.

As the last tendrils of willpower left him, he heard Mundus' voice: "Do not doubt, Vergil. I can make anything you want happen. I can even bring your mother back…"

Inside his form, the last thing he saw was Eva's face… as beautiful as he remembered, but never as devoid of any emotion as he had ever seen…

The black figure of the man was lowered to the ground. It looked up at Mundus, who was pleased at the sight. "Rise, my dark knight. Lay your eyes over my army. They are yours to command. Rise, Nelo Angelo."

The figure rose from his kneeling position, and turned to face the other demonic generals. They stood back, not knowing what to do, as their new leader made his way through their ranks.

---

---

He watched as Griffon approached the blonde woman. He had struck up a conversation, but it had become no clearer that she did not want to be pestered. As soon as she had gotten rid of the flying menace, Phantom appeared and cornered her. She defended herself well against the spider, but left him as soon as she had fought her way out. Not entirely amused, he turned to go about his business.

Before five strides were made, he found himself face-to-face with the woman. She was a beauty, but it did not strike him to know who she was. He gave her a boring look.

"Master has requested your presence," she said briskly, and turned toward the throne room. Seeing that his liege was calling, he followed behind her.

Mundus talked to them shortly. It seemed that he wanted to test the limits of his new demon. He would have them battle each other, to see if she would be most worthy for the task he had set. Nelo Angelo did not know who she was, but somehow this woman seemed to make Mundus doubt his ability.

He banished both of them from his throne room for their duel. Not long, they found themselves in an alley, surrounded by brick. The smell of humans hung in the air, and it became clear that they were in the human world. All the more deadly.

_---_

_---_

Wave after wave of attacks came from each figure. Surprisingly, she had proved more of a match than he had anticipated, and their duel lasted for hours on end. As it moved closer to dusk, they kept up their relentless battle, not showing signs of stopping soon.

At last, the tables turned as she slid out on the side. Nelo Angelo struck her with a fierce blow, flinching her. He noticed that something had distracted the woman.

As he moved closer to her recovering form, he stopped. Turning his armored head, he saw what had caught her attention. On the side, cowering against a dark corner, was a man and a woman. He was trying to keep her out of sight, shrinking back as his eyes had caught his.

A moment later, his opponent had struck at him, pushing him back. Anticipating her now-slowed attacks, she was quickly brought down with a swipe of his hand.

A voice boomed quietly. "Strike her down, Nelo Angelo. She is not worthy for the task."

He stepped forward and raised his sword, but to his surprise, the human woman he had seen earlier had run out of the corner and tried to help her up, despite her partner's cries. He hesitated as his opponent locked eyes with him, as a strange feeling of acknowledgement hit him from within.

"Take the human as well."

He felt compelled to follow the order, but a stronger force pulled the knight, making him lower his sword. Just then, he heard another familiar voice fill the air.

"You dare defy our master, Nelo Angelo?"

He turned to face Phantom, who was watching from atop a building, and had taken a particular disliking to him. When he did not answer, the spider hissed instead. "Well, if you're going to stand about all day, I'll fulfill our master's bidding, then."

Without warning, he shot a sting from his tail straight at the blonde. Acting on some hidden will and defying instinct, he shot sideways, feeling the sting pierce through his shoulder blade and out his back. Unknowingly horrified that it might have hit the woman, he turned instead to find that it had stopped, embedded in the man's chest, who had also stepped along with him to protect the two women.

His partner left the demon's side and gave an anguished cry, as he slumped into her arms. The dark knight and the blonde watched as they exchanged silent words, when at last, he drew a rattling breath and succumbed to the poison.

"You have gone too far, dark knight!" screamed the spider, but was silenced as Mundus once again spoke.

"This seems interesting. Do explain why, Vergil."

The dark knight did not seem a slight bit moved that he was called his 'other' name once again, but he replied, in a voice that was very quiet, "I find her worthy for fulfilling your tasks, master. That is why I have not struck her down. She herself nearly matches my ability."

"Ah, I see. And I take it that you did not do it out of pity?"

He glanced briefly at the sobbing human before looking back. "I have none."

"Very good. Both of you may return. I have tasks for each of you."

At this, Phantom leapt away. Nelo Angelo was about to follow him when a contact touched his mind, to his surprise.

"_You know that was a lie,"_ it said. He turned around to find the blonde standing, eyes fixed on his. He took no notice and started to trek forward, following the fiery tracks that the spider made.

"_Why did you spare me?"_

Her voice inside his head stopped him in his tracks. Sensing that she had gone nearer, he turned once again to face her. He answered differently.

"_You must bear in mind not to cross my path again. It will not be the same next time."_

She did not seem taken aback by the lack of answer. Instead, he pressed another question.

"_What is your name?"_

She stayed silent for a moment, and thinking she would not answer, or that she had none, he continued on.

"_Trish," _came the silent reply. After a short silence, she added, _"Who are you?"_

He did not face her this time, but answered without hesitation. "_I am no one."_

"_You are not. You are a knight, and you are marked by pride and honor. You are different from everyone else under the command of Mundus. Tell me… who are you?"_

He did not answer. However, her voice relayed through their connection another moment later. _"Phantom called you… 'Nelo Angelo'."_

"_You have your answer," _he told her curtly.

"_Is that all that you are?"_ she asked. At once his mind said yes, but his heart answered, _"No."_

She made no further questions on her part, and Trish followed the dark knight silently, the last of the woman's cries echoing through the silent darkening of night. Reaching the portal to the Demon World, they were about to step in when she said the last words through their connection, stopping him once again and awakening a deeper mind inside.

"_If that is all that there is…" _she stated, sighing very softly behind him,

"_Then, thank you… Vergil."_

_---_

_---_

The red-clad man struggled against his grasp, as he raised his arm to deal the final blow. The grip on his soul was stronger than ever, and he felt the triumph as he was about to strike down an opponent who had nearly matched his skill with the blade. He smirked at the man's futile attempts to save himself, but something caught his eyes before he ended his life.

An amulet. It had slipped out onto his chest, its silver lining gleaming in the dull light.

Suddenly, the cage around his mind dropped, and for the first time in almost a decade, memories rushed past his mind. A woman with blonde hair; a man stood proudly beside her as they watched two little boys playing. One of them held a goofy smile upon his face. The other held a proud air as he smiled at his brother. He seemingly looked into _his_ own eyes. And, after nearly ten years lying dormant and caged in his mind, Vergil saw himself in his eyes once again.

But, almost immediately, and before he could recognize the man he held before him, the darkness he had slept in closed in like an iron grip. Sensing it, Vergil desperately fought to keep his mind intact, but the same stabbing force coursed through his mind, nearly damaging every part of his body. He cried out loud at the pain, his outer shell taking him closer to Mundus against his will.

As he finally stood before the three red eyes, part of his shell cracked, and Vergil clawed his way out. He heaved and roared, but without his sword… he was incomplete. Mundus swayed him back, and the darkness engulfed him and subdued the man within.

Nelo Angelo was kneeling, under his influence once again, at his feet.

_---_

_---_

"A man with guts and honor. I like that! But it's a shame you serve Mundus."

Guts and honor. Yes, he would show him the face of guts and honor. Drawing his sword and stabbed it into the ground, the shell around his head disappeared, and the face of Vergil revealed itself to him. Not the Vergil as the man had been… it was the face of Vergil as he was caged.

It was the man he had crossed paths with earlier, twice. However, that was all he ever knew him to be, and once again, they fought, their weapons clashing within the halls of Mundus.

His opponent had defeated him once before, and he was determined to show him his place. Again and again, their pace did not slow, and they let the weapons do the talking.

The man dealt a blow near him, but he swiftly arrayed for a counterattack. Managing to maneuver into position, he slashed at the nimble being, tearing the red cloth in the process.

The man landed a ways off, and he charged at him, knocking him back. At the force of the impact, the traitorous glint of silver and ruby caught his attention. A moment of weakness dawned upon him, and the red actually disappeared from his eyes. Though, it was too late, as the man struck him down with power that rivaled Sparda himself.

His shell burst in a swirl of purple, however, his body was quickly claimed by Mundus himself. There, he was held to the very edge of unconsciousness, and the ruler's voice was the only thing he heard: "Trish, Vergil has been defeated. You know what you must do. Now go."

A voice unlike someone he had met before graced his ears, her answer cold as ice. "Yes, master."

_---_

_---_

For years, he remained caged. For years, he could not collect his wits about him, after the destruction of his katana. For years, he was nothing.

He lay there, in a pool of his own blood, even after Mundus had fled. He felt the grip weakening, but he did not have the strength to fight it.

Finally, one of the demons found him. It licked its chops menacingly as it approached. He had barely time to react when it pounced upon him, but he managed to flip it off with what little strength he had. As it left contact, though, he gave in to weakness completely. He closed his eyes to what was now a horde of reptiles, accepting his fate.

_---_

'_Kyrie, run!'_

'_Nero!'_

'_Kyrie! Kyrie!!'_

_---_

_---_

Vergil started hearing voices in his head. He did not recognize them, but there was indeed something oddly familiar about the man's voice…

Suddenly, and without warning, power shot through his veins, a power he had not felt in a very long time. The energy overwhelmed his unexpecting body, and in an almighty blast that destroyed everything within a radius of him, he stood tall, red blazing through his eyes. He felt _alive_ – so alive. Something had happened. Something had made him feel _complete_.

All around, demons materialized. They attacked him, but his reflexes were sharper than theirs, and soon he had them at bay. Their attack did not continue for long though, and they fled, just as his eyes dropped to their normal icy blue color. He slumped to his knees, suddenly tired from the exertion, but before he could move, he was taken once again.

_---_

_---_

"_Dispose of him."_

A chilling voice clipped at his ears. It took him a moment to realize that there were figures abound, and in the next second, physical pain, so much different from the mental pain he had gone through, drove his senses into overdrive as he writhed at the torture. Soon, very soon, he lay motionless, the figures having been called away by some voice. And slowly, blue and black tendrils slithered up his chest as he was pulled under.

_---_

_---_

_The white mist washed away the recollections, and once again, he stood motionless in the middle. Swirls of voices whirled around._

"'_Sorry, but I didn't come this far to lose my brother to you.'… 'DANTE!'… 'How is he?'... 'Hey Verge! Welcome back to the world of the living!'… 'Is everyone in?'… 'Yeah, big bro's in the front seat'… 'People who become demons?'… 'Hey, shut it kid, you're still dying, remember?'… 'You're interested in this place?' … 'You know about Sparda.' … 'She killed you with an imaginary gun.'… 'STAY HERE!' … 'You have a brother?'…"_

_None followed after parts he had picked up. A commotion seemed to follow, and a chill crept up as something passed near him. The mist left, and he was back in his body. _

_His consciousness hung by a thread, the marks all over his body painfully intensified. In the blackness that threatened to cover him, he felt strings of strength follow. He grasped desperately for it, at the same time spreading what his conscious mind could reach. He felt a presence near, but fear emanated from it, as it tried to fend off a looming cold._

_At last, he felt and groped for the power. His fingers wrapped around it, and a burst of strength filled him, driving him forward, the tips of his fingers savoring the very touch of his weapon. The coldness fled the room, but he could see nothing. He was whole. He was alive. Yet, he was blinded from the years of mental torture._

_He slumped down, just to be caught by someone. He reached out with his mind on the exterior, as much as his strength would allow, and recognized the face before him, as if from a dream. However, the voice that breathed his name from the face he knew so well didn't belong to her. Immediately raising his guard, he demanded her identity._

"_We have met before, Vergil. You mind was imprisoned in a cage then…"_

_That touch. He knew it as well. Something tolled within his memory, willing him to know…_

"_You… I do not remember much…"_

"_Rest now, you don't have to remember."_

_He didn't have to remember. He didn't. But, at her words, he did, remembering the tone of her voice as she said his real name, with utmost sincerity, during his imprisonment._

'_Then, thank you, Vergil…'_

_He faced her, but his eyes were still unfocused. As he drifted closer to rest, a memory tingled at the back of his mind._

"_Trish…" he whispered, gladly, before his eyelids enveloped him in sleep._

__________

**[A/N: Okay, I admit. Weird chapter. ...right?**

**So... I've cleared...**

**[x] Charging to the sky  
[x] Nelo Angelo  
[x] First Meeting  
[x] Secret # 1 :P  
[x] Dante battle 1  
[x] Dante battle 3  
[x] Yamato's awakening  
[x] Torture in the blue room  
[x] Voices in and out  
[x] Secret # 2 :P  
[x] Recognition**

**...and this is the shortest of all chapters so far. .]**


End file.
